Hanging Ten: Witchy Woman
by The Writer with No Name
Summary: After weeks of being friend-zoned by Emma, Johnny finally decides to move on, but this decision couldn't have come at a worse time...as a not-so-charming guest arrives at Surfer's Paradise, intent on settling an old score. AU Stoked S1-2, Ben 10: AF S2-3.
1. I've Put a Spell on You

CHAPTER ONE: I'VE PUT A SPELL ON YOU

_Surfer's Paradise Resort, Sunset Beach, B.C., August 2, 2010_

The noon sun was high over Sunset Island, filtering golden rays through the atrium windows of Surfer's Paradise's Lobbyquarium, catching on the blue waters of the huge fish-tank in the middle of the lobby where the shark and lone yellow fish swam…

…which did absolutely _nothing_ to alleviate the boredom.

Sitting at his post at the check-in desk, 17-year-old Johnny St. James, the hotel's self-acclaimed Front Desk Guy, in his uniform t-shirt and shorts, let his face fall to the desk with a groan. '_3 hours, and not a single check-in…somebody kill me now…_'

"Johnny!"

Glancing up, Johnny managed a weary smile. "Hey, Emma."

In her serving-wench-style uniform, with a bandana over her long, ruby hair, 16-year-old Emma Mackenzie smiled back. "Is your shift almost over?"

Johnny groaned. "One hour left."

Emma pouted sympathetically. "Awww…" she said, before brightening. "Lo and I were just about to grab a sesh with Ben, Fin, Gwen, and Kevin!" She sighed. "I think I've got a handle on my cutbacks, but I am completely _lost_ when it comes to flip-tricks!"

Johnny smiled. "Hey, if you can wait an hour, I'd be happy to give you some pointers," he offered. "I know a couple of things about 'em."

Emma beamed. "_Really?_" she exclaimed. "_Thanks_, Johnny! You're such an awesome friend!"

Johnny's smile collapsed. "Sure."

Oblivious, Emma continued. "Of course, this might all be moot, if there aren't any waves; you remember how flat the ocean was, yesterday?"

Johnny had to nod. "Yeah. Total doldrums."

Emma shrugged. "Well, let's just hope they're back, today!" she said. "Anyway, see you out there!"

As Emma headed off, Johnny waved back, half-heartedly. "Yeah; see you out there."

_Friend._ He _hated_ that word…

"Dude! Zoned _again?_"

Suppressing another groan, Johnny turned to greet Reef and Broseph, both in uniform. "You guys saw?"

Grinning, the spike-haired surf-instructor nodded. "You know it, bra!" he said. "And it _still_ makes me laugh!"

Frowning, Broseph elbowed him. "Hey, ease up, man," the afro-headed youth said. "Dude's in enough pain as it is."

Johnny sighed. "I must be some kind of masochist."

Broseph raised a hand. "No worries, bro: we don't judge a guy's religion."

"What? No!" Johnny said. "That just means that…you know what? Never mind." He dropped his head on the desk, again. "It still doesn't solve my girl-problem."

"What problem?"

Glancing up, Johnny spotted his friend and fellow senior, 17-year-old Tyler "Ty" Ridgemount, in his usual surf-shorts and t-shirt. "Nothing, Ty."

Reef chuckled. "Johnny's just got a little red-haired obsession on his mind."

Running a hand through his short copper hair in thought, Ty blinked, before he caught on. "Wait, are you hot for that new DR girl? Ella?"

Johnny frowned. "It's _Emma_, Ty."

Broseph nodded. "Poor guy's marooned neck-deep in the Friend Zone."

Ty winced. "Oh, _ouch!_ Dude, I am _sorry!_" he said. "There's…there's just no going back from that!"

"We know! That's what we keep telling him!" Reef said. "Seriously, Front Desk Guy; move _on_, already! If some chick isn't taking the hook, then land a _hotter_ one!"

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Angler Dave."

Ty started to grin. "In that case, you're in luck!" he began. "There's a rave going down at the Quintuple Overhead, tonight; you guys in?"

Reef's eyes bugged out. "_Dude!_ That's the most exclusive club in Sunset Beach! They don't let _anybody_ in!"

Ty shrugged. "I know a guy who knows a guy." His grin grew. "I have it on good authority that many _fine_ honeys will be in attendance, and it would be against the Grom Code to leave my bros out in the cold…"

Johnny's tone was deadpan. "Translation: he needs us to distract the ugly-girl-slash-crazy-girl-slash-guy-disguised-as-a-girl while _he_ goes for the _real_ hottie."

Ty groaned. "_How_ many times do I have to apologize for that?"

"It was a _college dude_, Ridgemount; pulling a pledge-week prank on whatever poor local schmuck he could find," Johnny deadpanned. "And, thanks to you, he found one."

Reef and Broseph burst out laughing. "_Dude!_" Reef guffawed. "And…and you still have the guts to…to show your _face..?_"

As Johnny glowered at him, Ty raised his hands. "I didn't _know_, Johnny!" he defended. "I was as surprised as you were..!"

"_NOBODY was as surprised as I was, Tyler!_"

Broseph tried to stifle his laughter. "Dude…that…that's just so _wrong_, bro."

"Yeah, it was; hence my reluctance to party with this kook," Johnny grumbled, before his expression collapsed into depressed resignation. "I think I'm just going to have to face it, guys; as far as girls are concerned – especially Emma – I'm a lost cause," he continued. "There's just no girl out there…for…me..?"

As he spoke, he'd glanced across the lobby…prompting his voice to trail off, as he beheld the utter _vision_ walking towards his desk. Ty, Reef, and Broseph weren't far behind, mirroring his bug-eyed, open-mouth gaping.

She was fairly tall, and supermodel-slim, blessed with ample, delightfully perky curves bouncing behind a black-rimmed, magenta bikini, contrasting against her moon-white skin. Below a delicate, aristocratic nose, twin moist, blossom-pink lips curved in a flirtatious smile, her eyes hidden behind mauve-lensed shades, while her hair – not red, or brown, or blonde, but a luminous, lustrous _silver_ – trailed long down her back, over delicate shoulders, to almost reach her sandaled feet, dotted with stars on her dainty toes…and around her waist was a fanny-pack, slipped around so that the pack itself rested over what _had_ to be the most perfect booty in _existence…_

…and she was _heading towards him._

Johnny instantly forgot how to breathe.

Ty recovered first. "Uh…h-hi, I'm Ty; Ty Ridgemount…"

The vision fixed him with a disarming smile. "Yes, I'm sure you are," she dismissed. "If you'll excuse me, but I have to check in..?"

Ty's smile collapsed. "Oh. Right. Sorry."

As she walked past, Reef managed to close his mouth. "Uh…guh?"

The vision just sighed, rolling her eyes, before she turned towards Johnny…and _smiled._ "Can I book a room, handsome?"

'_Handsome! Handsome! She called me handsome!_' Johnny tried to stay cool amidst his mental cartwheels. "Uh…well, let's see, now!" Opening the bookings screen, he pored over the readout…and frowned. "Uh…sorry, miss, but we don't have any openings, right now."

At the silver-haired beauty's _adorable_ pout, Johnny instantly checked the check-out data, and amended his statement. "B-But if you wanted to stick around for an hour or so, one of our guests will be checking out; I can book you that room, right now, if you'd like!"

He was rewarded by a dazzling smile, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Oh, you're a _doll! Thank you!_" she cooed.

Johnny shrugged, fighting to keep himself from blushing. "Oh, well…here at Surfer's Paradise, we aim to please!" The girl giggled, as she reached for her shades…and lifted them up.

Johnny was immediately greeted by two glittering magenta gems, set in twin pairs of silky dark eyelashes, cast in a perfect face. Meeting his gaze, the girl smiled again. "You really saved me…Jonathan?"

Johnny froze. "Huh? H-How'd you..?"

The girl giggled again. "Your _name-tag_, silly."

"Oh! Right!" Johnny chuckled nervously. "You…you can just call me Johnny…or Front Desk Guy; everybody does!"

The girl's hands moved behind her. "Charmina." She batted her eyes…which Johnny could have _sworn_ were glowing. "You can call me Mina."

Johnny was surprised steam wasn't shooting out of his ears, because he was _sure_ his brain was boiling; the sight of her incisor-teeth trailing over her elegant pink mouth didn't help. "I-I'll remember that!"

"I hope so." Charmina's smile grew. "I know what _you're_ thinking about."

Johnny tried to recover. "Oh…just wondering about my schedule for the week."

Mina pouted. "All work and no play?" she asked. "I don't believe that; you _must_ know all the parties going on, around here."

Reef tried to jump in. "You mean like the one at Quintuple Overhead, tonight? You should totally come!" he said. "We're all going to be there!"

Mina ignored him, her glittering pink gaze fixed on Johnny. "Will you be there?"

Johnny gulped. "Uh…I don't know; I don't usually go to those kind of things…"

"Hmm…neither do I, to be honest," Charmina confessed, a pretty rosy tint crossing her face. "But I could be persuaded; could you?"

Johnny froze. "Uh…"

Mina smiled, waving. "Hope to see you there, cutie!" she cooed, and with that, she walked off.

"_DUDE!_ Did…did I just _SEE_ that?" Reef cried. "That…that _uberfox_ was _hitting on Front Desk Guy!_"

Broseph grinned. "_Nice_, bro!" he said, giving Johnny a high-five.

Ty nodded. "Okay, now you _have_ to come with us!"

Johnny was still mildly dazed. "Uh…huh?"

Reef sighed. "_Dude._ You can either stay here, and mope over a betty that won't pay any attention to you…_or_ you can move on, and go see a betty that _will!_"

"Yeah, bro; I mean, Emma's cool and all, but if she's not interested…it's kind of a no-brainer," Broseph said. "No offence to Emma."

Johnny cast one forlorn look in the direction Emma had gone. "I'll…I'll think about it, okay?"

Reef groaned. "Okay, bro – your funeral." His eyes narrowed. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're heading for the Office before Fin hogs all the waves!" With that, he raced off, heading towards the beach, while Broseph hurried after him.

Glancing towards his friend, Ty arched an eyebrow. "You're not really going to miss this, are you?"

"You're not going to pull another wingman-routine, are you?" Johnny deadpanned.

Ty sighed. "_No_, Johnny; no setups, no wingman routines, _nothing._ Swear to God."

Johnny's hand went to his head. "Look, I'm expecting a call from my Mom, okay? She and Melanie might be stopping by for a few days; once I hear from them, _then_ I can make a decision about tonight!"

Ty smiled. "Your Mom and your baby sis are stopping by? Cool." Shrugging, he turned to go. "Later, man."

"Yeah, later," Johnny replied, as Ty headed off, before he returned to his own thoughts. '_I do still like Emma, but she doesn't even notice me…not like Charmina does...aw, man, what do I do?_'

XXXXXXXX

_The Office_

"Surf's up, guys! Let's do this!"

Mere moments after his shift had ended, 16-year-old Ben Tennyson had made for the dilapidated Staff House, switched his tacky uniform for his green-black trunks, grabbed his green longboard with jagged black stripes and hourglass insignia – identical to the crest of the Omnitrix on his wrist – and hauled tail towards the Office.

Moments after, his cousin Gwen, in her blue bikini, carrying her own mauve board, was close behind him, her long ruby hair flowing free from its usual ponytail. "_Finally!_ I thought that maid shift would _never_ end!"

Bringing up the rear, in his black shorts and carrying his own black board, 17-year-old Kevin Levin, Gwen's boyfriend, half-grumbled. "Speak for yourself, babe; Baumer had me cleaning out the freaking _pool._ I swear, before summer's out, I'm kicking his _butt..!_"

Grinning, Ben glanced over his shoulder. "You can plan Bummer's butt-whuppin' later, Kevin – right now, we've got waves to shred!"

By then, they had emerged from the forest, racing onto the pristine white sands of the Office, where all the others were waiting at the beach, boards in hand. Spotting his girlfriend, Ben grinned as he came to a stop next to her. "Hey, beautiful."

In her usual pink-white bikini-top and short-shorts, accentuating the curves of her slender, caramel-creamy frame, her long chestnut hair held back by her floral hairclip, 15-year-old Lauren "Lo" Ridgemount smiled back, her amethyst eyes slightly sad. "Hey, baby," she cooed. "Sorry you wasted your time."

Ben shook his head. "Seeing you is _never_ a waste of time."

Lo blushed prettily, before gesturing to the water. "No, but _that_ is."

Ben followed her gesture…and his face collapsed. "_Oh._"

The water was flat.

Completely, utterly, Saskatchewan-wheat-field _flat._

_Again._

Utterly distraught, Reef dropped to his knees, his hands wringing his hair. "_NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_"

Kevin snorted. "It's _still_ flat?"

In her yellow-violet tankini, Fin nodded grimly, her short blonde bangs shaking as she did. "Three days straight."

Broseph looked ready to cry. "So _wrong_, dudes."

Emma flinched. "Has it ever been like this?"

Lo shook her head. "Not that I can remember!" she replied. "And it's not just here – all the beaches are like this!"

Gwen arched an eyebrow. "Okay, that's weird."

Ben nodded. "Waves don't just disappear," he agreed. "Something's up."

"Think we should check it out?" Kevin asked. "Jetray oughtta do the trick."

Glancing at the Omnitrix, Ben depressed the twin buttons, popping up the dial. "One little flight out to sea should do it," he answered, twisting the dial until the holographic image of Jetray appeared in green over the dial.

"Just don't fly out _too_ far!" Gwen warned. "If the Omnitrix times out, you could get stranded out there…"

"…if the fall doesn't get me first; I get it, Gwen."

Lo looked worried. "Be careful, Ben."

Ben smiled for her. "I'll be fine, Lauren – compared to other jobs, this is a tourist-cruise!"

"Yeah, whatever, dude; just bring back some choice waves!" Reef said.

Ben grinned, as he raised his hand over the dial. "Consider it done, guys!" he declared. "_Hero time!_" With that, he slammed the dial down, instantly causing the Omnitrix to cycle up, engulfing him in green light as the Omni-energy remade him at the DNA-level…

…and as the light dimmed, in his place stood a red-yellow, manta-ray-like creature. "_Jetray!_"

Broseph chuckled. "That _never_ gets old, dudes."

Glancing out to sea, Jetray flapped his membranous wings, floating into the air. "Back in a flash, guys!" he hissed, and was gone in a crimson blur, darting out to sea, a sonic boom echoing behind him.

As he blurred across the water, Jetray's keen eyes stayed trained on the ocean, his fanged expression grim. '_Man, nothing but calm waters all around!_' he mentally griped. '_Okay, there's gotta be some waves around here: flat…flat…flat…and more flat! What the heck is going on around – HOLY..!_'

His mental expletive died in mid-thought as he glanced up…just in time to pull up from the sudden coastline he was about to run into. Regaining control, he darted up into the clouds, out of sight, before he carefully descended, to take a closer look at what he'd almost crashed into.

The land-mass below him was a miniature archipelago, consisting of five artificially-linked islands, with the central one sporting a tall viewing-tower. Silently, Jetray glided down to perch on top of the tower, and peered out over the islands.

Flat greens.

Refreshment-stands.

Water-hazards.

Sand-traps.

Golf-balls flying every which way.

Jetray did a mild double-take. '_A…a GOLF COURSE?_' He couldn't believe it. '_Who the hell builds a golf-course in the middle of the North Pacific?_'

A few seconds later, he got his answer, as a familiar tanned, pudgy, captain's-hat-wearing figure walked into view. '_Captain Ron; figures._' He sighed. '_Well, as cheesy as this place is, it's not hurting any…what the..?_'

His gaze then fell on the far side of the archipelago…where numerous large waves – triple overhead or more – were crashing against the shores. '_Our waves! THIS is where they got to!_' His emerald gaze narrowed, glaring at Ron. '_This eyesore's blocking the waves!_'

At that moment, he was sorely tempted to switch to Fourarms or Humongousaur, drop down, and hang a butt-kicking on Ron…but his better sense kiboshed it. '_I'd better report back, first._' With that, he flared his wings, and took off, heading back to Sunset Island.

Within minutes, he reached the Office, gliding back onto the sand, where he hit the control-dial, returning to normal. "Well?" Fin pressed.

"Spill, dude!" Broseph urged. "Find any waves?"

"Okay…good news, bad news time," Ben said. "The good news is that there _are_ waves, further out to sea…"

A cheer rose up from his fellow groms at that. Ecstatic, Lo hugged him. "Baby, you _rule!_"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Reef declared. "Let's hang ten, dudes..!"

"Hold on, Reef," Ben said. "The waves are there, but we can't ride 'em."

Gwen blinked. "Um…why?"

"_That's_ the bad news," Ben finished. "Captain Ron's built some kinda golf-course island out there; _that's_ why the waves aren't reaching shore."

Lo's eyes narrowed. "_Urrrggh!_ I should've _known_ Stupid Stanhope had something to do with this!"

Fin was in quick agreement. "That _can't_ be legal, guys!" she shouted. "We should head to the police and _bust_ his fat butt!"

Gwen looked worried. "Ben, where exactly did you find this golf-course?"

Ben pointed out to sea. "A couple minutes to the west."

"I was afraid of that," Gwen muttered. Raising her hand, she conjured a mauve energy-construct – a map depicting Sunset Island and the surrounding seas, complete with borders…and a dot representing the golf-course. "Going to the police won't help, Fin; if Ben's right, Captain Ron's built his course in international waters. Out there, nobody can touch him – not the police, the Coast Guard, the Canadian Navy, _nobody._"

Emma looked stricken. "Not even the Plumbers?"

Ben shook his head. "Plumbers only intervene in events of alien activity, Emma; unless Ron's an alien, they can't get involved."

Kevin's eyes narrowed. "Maybe, but _we_ can," he said. "International waters means _no_ laws, guys; we can't bust Ron, but he can't bust _us_, either." His fist pounded his palm. "What say we go out and hang a beating on his fat ass?"

"Kevin!" Gwen scolded. "We don't get to play judge and jury just because somebody does something that inconveniences us!"

"This isn't just an inconvenience, Gwen," Ben countered. "If Ron's blocking the surf, he's also mucking up the tides. Yeah, it started with us losing surf-time, but pretty soon, it could screw up the currents that local fishermen use. Ron isn't just screwing us over; he's screwing over the whole island."

Gwen looked pensive for a moment. "So what exactly do we do about that golf-course, Ben? We can't just blast it into smithereens – not with innocent tourists on it!"

Ben thought that over. "Lo, do you think you can borrow a Sea-Doo?"

Lo shrugged. "I guess. Why?"

Ben smiled knowingly. "Gwen, Kevin, alert the Coast-Guard; they're about to get busy." His smile grew as he held up the Omnitrix. "In cases like these, big problems need _Way Big_ solutions…"

XXXXXXXX

_Surfer's Paradise_

'_One thousand and one…one thousand and two…man, there has GOT to be a better way to pass the time…_'

Turning his eyes from the Lobbyquarium fish-tank as the shark made its one-thousand-and-third circle around the large central coral reef, Johnny yawned…and then groaned as the phone rang. '_I had to ask, didn't I?_' He picked it up. "Surfer's Paradise Resort, Johnny speaking; how can I..?"

"_JON-JON!_"

The sheer force of the delighted squeal almost blew out Johnny's eardrums, but it didn't stop the smile from spreading over his face as he recognized the caller. "_Melanie!_" he exclaimed. "Hi! How are you?"

He was answered by his baby sister's giggle. "_I'm good!_" Melanie answered. "_Mommy said that we could come visit you for a few days, tomorrow!_"

"Hey, that's great!" Johnny answered. "You guys'll love it here; there's tons to do!"

"_And you'll teach me how to surf, right, Jon-Jon?_" Melanie pleaded. "_Mommy said I was old enough to start, this year…_"

Johnny nodded. "Well, if Mom said it was okay, then I'd _love_ to!" he answered. "Anyway, do you mind if I talk to Mom for a bit?"

"_Awwww…_"

Johnny laughed. "I know, Mel, but we've gotta talk about some boring old grown-up stuff before you guys can stop by, so we'll talk plenty tomorrow, okay?"

Melanie's tone brightened. "_Okay, Jon-Jon! I love you!_"

Johnny grinned. "Love you too, Melanie." There was a moment's pause, before Johnny heard the shuffling of the phone into a new pair of hands. "Hey, Mom."

The smile in Bethany St. James' voice was audible as she answered her eldest child. "_Hi, John,_" she answered. "_Is everything alright, up there?_"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine."

Bethany's voice turned stern. "_That Baumer boy isn't working you too hard, is he?_"

Johnny laughed. "No, Mom; in Andrew's books, I'm actually one of the few he _doesn't_ think of as slackers," he answered. "Though that could always change."

"_I certainly hope not._" Bethany's tone calmed. "_Is everything alright with our reservation?_"

Checking over his mother's file, Johnny nodded to himself. "You and Mel are A-okay, Mom! Surfer's Paradise awaits!" His expression turned worried. "I still wish you'd have let me help with that…"

"_You stop that right now, mister! You have enough to worry about, what with saving for college, in a year!_" Bethany scolded. "_You do enough, sending a few dollars home, every week!_"

"Okay, okay!" Johnny laughed. "I get it! No helping with family vacations until _after_ college!"

"_Good,_" Bethany said, calming down. "_Well, John, we'll see you in the morning._"

"Okay, Mom; drive safe."

"_We will,_" Bethany answered. "_Love you!_"

Johnny grinned. "Love you, too, Mom." With that, he hung up…in time to see the others all hurry into the lobby. "Wow. That had to be the shortest surf-sesh in Sunset Beach history."

Emma groaned. "Try the shortest _non_-sesh! Stupid Captain Ron built a golf-course out in international waters – it's blocking the waves!"

Johnny winced. "_Man_, that sucks!" he exclaimed. "So…rain-check on the flip-trick lesson?"

Emma nodded. "At least until the waves come back."

A sly smile crossed Lo's face. "Did I hear _right?_" she exclaimed. "You asked _Johnny_ for a flip-trick lesson?"

Emma blinked. "I didn't have to: Johnny volunteered."

Fin grinned. "Gee, _I_ sure wish a hot guy would volunteer to help _me_ out, sometime."

Reef instantly perked up. "Say no more, betty: I'll have you doing flips in no time!"

Fin's smile instantly collapsed. "Correction: I wish a hot guy that _knew his butt from a hole in the sand_ would volunteer to help me out, sometime."

Ben glanced to Gwen and Kevin, who both looked back with equal confusion. "Hey, Ben: what're your girlfriend and Princess Surf-Nut doing?"

Ben could only shrug. "Wish I knew."

Emma was just as perplexed. "Huh?" she asked. "Fin? Lo? What are you talking about?"

Fin chuckled. "You mean it's not _obvious_, Alberta?"

"Um…_no._"

Lo shrugged. "All we're saying is that most guys wouldn't just volunteer their time for no reason."

Fin nodded. "The only time _I've_ seen a guy jump through hoops is when he was head-over-heels for a girl."

Emma laughed. "_What?_ Are you two serious?" Beaming, she turned to Johnny. "Johnny, can you _believe_ these two?"

Johnny's heart sank, as his expression went flat. "Yeah. They're hilarious."

Ben sighed. "Anyway, Johnny, the reason we're here is because Lo and I need to rent a jet-ski."

Lo nodded. "We're going to pay Captain Ron a little _visit._"

Johnny blinked. "Omnitrix-related?"

"You could say that," Kevin answered.

"Don't worry, Johnny; Ben's just going to get the waves back," Gwen reassured him, fixing her cousin with a warning eye, "_without_ going overboard; right, Ben?"

Ben smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I can keep the mayhem to a minimum."

Lo pouted folding her arms. "Would it be _so_ bad if Captain Ron went missing at sea?"

Ben frowned. "Lo…"

"Just saying!"

Johnny gestured towards the exit, pointing at the main dock at the beach. "Just as long as you bring the jet-ski back in one piece, I'm golden."

Ben grinned. "Thanks, Johnny!" he said, hurrying off.

Lo was close behind. "Put the rental on my spa-tab!"

As Ben and Lo headed out, Broseph and Reef started walking towards the staff-house. "Hey, bro, since the waves are still MIA, you think I can borrow your board-wax?" Broseph asked. "Sheila's lookin' kinda dull, so I thought I'd give her a treat."

Reef winced. "_Dude._ You gotta stop acting like your board's a betty."

Rolling her eyes at Reef, Fin turned towards Gwen and Kevin. "Hey, Red, you and Alcatraz wanna lose some quarters in the arcade?" she asked. "At least until Ben and Lo get back?"

Kevin scowled. "Don't call me Alcatraz, Princess Surf-Nut."

"Then don't call me Princess Surf-Nut, Alcatraz."

Quieting her boyfriend's retort with a hand on his forearm, Gwen smiled. "Sure!"

"Cool!" Fin replied, walking towards the arcade. "Be warned: I am the _queen_ of Alien Blasters 5."

Kevin snorted. "Then prepare to be _crowned._"

"Bring it on, Alcatraz."

Only Emma and Johnny were left in the lobby. Turning to Johnny, Emma smiled shyly. "Um…Johnny?" she asked. "Can I ask you something?"

Johnny felt ashamed that her smile was all it took to rekindle his hopes. "Sure."

Emma beamed. "Does…does Ty know many flip-tricks? If I figure them out, will he be impressed?"

As always, Johnny's hopes shattered like glass…but _this_ time, Johnny felt something snap inside him; maybe Emma had just stepped on his last nerve. "Emma, he can't even remember your _name!_" he exclaimed. "He hasn't even asked to go _surfing_ with you! I, on the other hand, have _repeatedly_ helped you, the latest of which being this trick-lesson! I even saved your _life_ during that zombie-incident! Does that mean _anything_ to you?"

Emma's eyes went wide at his outburst. "Of…of _course_ it does, Johnny!"

For a moment, Johnny was afraid he'd gone too far. "It does?"

Emma nodded with a smile…before she pulled the rug _right_ out from under him. "It means you're my _best_ friend in the _world!_"

_Friend._

_Friend._

_Friend._

_Friend._

Johnny didn't know how long he'd gone still, listening to that word echo in his head, but it must have been a few minutes, judging from Emma's concerned face. "Johnny?" she asked, nervously chewing her lip. "Are you okay?"

Blinking himself out of his brain-stall, Johnny took a deep breath…and sighed. "Excuse me for a moment." Without waiting for a reply, he turned, and walked away, heading to the washroom, going into a stall, and locking the door.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGG GHHHHHHH!**_"

After screaming out his frustrations, Johnny calmly opened the stall, and walked out, staring at himself in the washroom mirror.

Slowly, his stressed-out expression faded away, replaced by some mixture of anger and determination; Emma saw him as nothing more than a friend.

Charmina didn't.

And yet he was _here_, stressing over Emma.

He wanted to smack himself. '_Oh, God, what is WRONG with me..?_'

"You okay, bro?"

Looking over his shoulder, Johnny saw the old surf-hermit known only as The Kahuna emerging from another stall. "You sounded majorly harshed, dude."

Johnny took a calming breath. "I'm fine, Kahuna; that scream you heard was me coming to my _senses._"

The Kahuna still looked worried. "This about that red-haired grom-ette, bro? Emma?"

'_Was I THAT obvious?_' Aloud, he answered, "Not anymore, man." He checked his watch. "Anyway, I'm punching out, now."

Leaving Kahuna behind, Johnny headed to the punch-clock and punched out, before making his way to the staff house. As he walked onto the patio, he found Reef and Broseph there, waxing their boards. Spotting him, Broseph smiled. "Hey, bro; what's up?"

Johnny took one last glance towards the hotel – where Emma was – and looked away, his expression firm. "You know that thing you guys asked me about, before?" he asked. "How I said I'd think about it?"

A knowing smile crossed Reef's face. "Yeah…"

"I thought about it." Johnny felt his insides briefly clench…and then relax. "Count me in."

"_WHOOOHOOO!_ _That's_ our boy!" Reef cheered. "Leave it to us, man; before the night's over, you'll have bagged yourself an even _hotter_ hottie!"

Broseph grinned. "Like that betty with the silver hair, bro? She seemed pretty into you."

Johnny shrugged. "I guess I'll find out, tonight," he answered, feeling slightly sad…but at the same time, _freer._ '_Sorry, Emma; you had your chance…_'

XXXXXXXX

_International waters_

"So what exactly _were_ you and Fin up to, just now?"

As she stood on her rented jet-ski, working the controls, and just _loving_ the feel of Ben's arms around her waist, Lo shrugged as innocently as she could. "Whatever do you mean?"

Ben's chuckle tickled her ear as he leaned closer. "Don't play dumb, Lo; you and Fin were all but _throwing_ Johnny at Emma. What gives?"

"Oh. That," Lo answered. "We were just trying to help Emma see what a catch Johnny is so she'll ask him out." She frowned. "Which would be easier if she wasn't hung up on Ty…"

Ben blinked. "So Johnny told you he likes Emma?"

"He didn't have to; the day those Forever Knights showed up, I saw him gazing at her!" Lo's eyes narrowed. "Wait…_you_ knew?"

Ben gulped. "Uh…"

"_Ben!_" Lo cried. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Fin and I could've been working on Emma even _before_ now!"

"Hey, it was Johnny's business, Lo!" Ben defended. "And I'm not so sure meddling in our friends' romantic lives is such a great idea; those things tend to backfire."

Lo pouted. "But don't you want Johnny and Emma to be happy?" Smiling flirtatiously, she leaned back into him. "Like _us?_"

Slightly dizzy from the floral scents of Lo's hair, Ben struggled to order his thoughts. "We weren't forced together, Lauren."

Lo giggled. "Obviously you never heard Emma and Fin constantly telling me how dateable you were!"

Ben's eyes went wide. "Wait…those two planned to get us together?"

Lo blushed. "Uh…not exactly; they just pointed out a few things."

Ben smirked. "Then there you go!" he said. "Nobody forced us together, Lo; we happened on our own." Grinning, he gently tightened his arms around her slim waist, giving her a playful squeeze. "And I couldn't be happier."

Lo squeaked, causing the jet-ski to swerve. "_Ben!_ Trying to steer, here!" she squealed. Once she'd calmed – and let herself enjoy the hug – she continued. "I just don't want Emma to get hurt by chasing after Ty, Ben."

Ben looked surprised. "But I thought…I mean, Ty seemed like a pretty good guy…"

"Nine times out of ten, yes," Lo agreed, "but with girls, he's _clueless!_ If he's not ignoring the _nice_ girls that crush on him – most of my school-friends included – he's chasing after every hotel-honey that looks good in a bikini!" She sighed. "And when my friends got their hearts broken, I always have to pick up the pieces, and I don't want that to happen to Emma."

"Wow."

Lo nodded. "_That's_ why I'm trying to fix Emma up with the only _other_ available good guy on Sunset Beach," she finished. "Well, other than Broseph, but he's a little out there…no offence."

"Okay, I think I understand," Ben relented, "but I still think meddling won't end well." Looking ahead, he took a deep breath.

Spotting the golf-course, Lo scrunched her nose in disgust. '_God, Stanhope, eyesore much?_' Stopping her jet-ski just out of the course's visual range, Lo switched off the engine. "Okay; time for you to do your hero-thing, and save Sunset Island!" She giggled. "_Again!_"

Ben grinned. "Wish me luck?"

Turning around, Lo happily complied, wreathing her arms around her boyfriend's neck, before sweetly touching her lips to his. "Consider that a down-payment," she cooed. "The _rest_ of the kiss comes _later._"

Slightly dazed, Ben widened his grin. "Consider that golf-course _relocated!_" he declared. "Stay clear, beautiful; time to get large-and-in-charge!" With that, he dove off the jet-ski, swimming straight down, far below the visible depths…before a massive flash of emerald light lit up the ocean for miles around.

Startled by the _much_-larger-than-usual Omnitrix flare, Lo looked around for any sign of Ben…and _froze_ as she saw the telltale dorsal fin of a shark break the surface; before she could shout a warning, the fin started to grow upwards, getting taller and taller…and then Lo realized her mistake.

It _wasn't_ a dorsal fin; it was a _cranial_ fin.

Her mouth dropping open, Lo could only gape as a massive, red-white, finned head, with golden eyes twice her own height rose up from the depths, followed by an incredibly muscled torso over _twice_ the height of Surfer's Paradise, with two equally muscled arms with red bone-blades jutting from the elbows…and the Omnitrix symbol attached to its chest.

The sound of its voice was enough to ripple the water. "_**WAY BIG!**_"

Once he'd fully stood up, the giant – Way Big – began to move through the water towards the golf-course, slowly but steadily, rumbling the water with each movement…causing Lo to realize he was _walking along the ocean floor._

The sight of the approaching alien giant, along with its accompanying thunderous footsteps, sent the patrons of the golf-course into a panic, rushing for the life-boats. Captain Ron tried to reassure them, but he stopped dead in his tracks as Way Big reached the shore of the course, climbing onto it with one giant step, before standing up to his full, mind-boggling height, looming over _five_ times the height of Surfer's Paradise.

With an irate frown, Way Big reached down, grabbed Ron by the rear collar of his shirt, and lifted him up to his eye-level. "P-Put me _down!_" Ron sputtered. "Y-You can't do this to me! This is private property!"

"_**BIG TALK FOR SUCH A LITTLE GUY, PAL,**_" Way Big rumbled. "_**AS FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHO SAID YOU COULD PUT A GOLF-COURSE RIGHT ON TOP OF MY HOME, HUH?**_"

Ron froze. "Y-Your h-home?"

"_**YEAH, BUSTER. MY HOME.**_" Way Big's tone turned frosty. "_**FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS, I'VE BEEN PICKING GOLF-BALLS OUT OF MY YARD NON-STOP, THANKS TO YOU.**_" His eyes narrowed. "_**HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I PLAYED GOLF WITH YOUR HOUSE?**_"

Laughing nervously, Ron back-pedalled as if his life depended on it. "I-I had no idea, sir!" he exclaimed. "I-I am _so_ sorry! I'll h-have this course off your property within the week, I promise!"

"_**NO. YOU WON'T.**_" With that, Way Big set Ron back down on the ground, before resting his foot against the central tower. "_**I WILL.**_" And with that, he started to push.

Almost instantly, the tower fell over, the support cables snapping like taffy. With the tower gone, the tiny archipelago began to drift apart…and allowing the waves the roll through, unopposed. With the waves free to roll, Way Big turned to go, but he briefly looked back over his shoulder at Ron. "_**DON'T MAKE ME COME BACK UP HERE, KOOK,**_" he rumbled, before he waded back into the ocean, disappearing beneath the waves.

From far away, out of eyesight, Lo watched as Way Big dipped back under the water, keeping an eye out for the telltale deactivation flash; as one wave rocked her jet-ski, she almost missed the emerald flare, before a normal Ben climbed out of the water, back onto the jet-ski behind her. "How'd I do?"

With a delighted squeal, Lo hugged her boyfriend. "My _hero!_" she exclaimed. "Baby, that was _awesome!_"

His hands, moving to her waist, Ben gently inched Lo closer to him, his eyes meeting hers. "So, about the rest of that kiss..?"

Giggling, Lo batted her eyes at him. "Why not wait until we get back to shore?" she suggested. "Right now, getting rocked by waves on a jet-ski isn't really conducive to making out."

Ben sighed. "Good point." With that, Lo banked the jet-ski into a turn, heading back to shore.

By the time Ben and Lo had returned to the dock and parked the jet-ski, all of Captain Ron's patrons, as well as Captain Ron, had landed their lifeboats on the beach near Surfer's Paradise. As she and Ben walked towards the hotel, Lo beamed as she spotted her father, giving him a little wave. "Hi, Daddy!"

In his usual business suit, James Ridgemount smiled back at his daughter. "Hi, Princess." Spotting Ben, he nodded. "Benjamin."

Grinning sheepishly, Ben nodded back. "Sir."

Looking back to his business rival, James folded his well-muscled arms. "Care to run that by me again, Ron?"

Ron was still in panic-mode. "It's _true_, Jimmy! Some gigantic sea-monster knocked down my golf-course! We've got to get the Coast Guard out here, pronto!"

James' tone was flat. "A sea-monster." He sighed. "_How_ much sun did you get out there, Ron?"

Ron was about to answer, but his guests did it for him. "It's true!"

"There's something out there!"

"It was _huge!_"

Ron smirked. "What'd I tell you, Jimbo?"

James' hand went to his forehead, pinching his brow. "Where exactly did you see this "monster," Ron?"

Ron pointed out to sea. "Ten miles that way!" he said. "Now are you going to call the damn Coast Guard, or should I?"

"Doesn't matter who calls them, Ron – that's international water. The Coast Guard's jurisdiction ends there." He arched an eyebrow. "For that matter, what were _you_ doing there, Ron?"

Ron paled. "Uh…"

James didn't give him a chance to weasel out of it. "You built a golf-course in international waters, Ron?" he asked, his tone growing cold. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the surf going flat, would it?"

Ron grinned nervously. "You know what? Forget I said anything!" he laughed. "Monsters? Who saw any monsters? Honestly! No need to report this, or anything!"

That didn't go over so well with his former patrons. "I paid good money for those 18 holes, Stanhope!"

"What the hell am I going to tell my insurance company?"

James raised his hands to calm the crowd. "Now, now; I'm sure the good Captain would be happy to refund your down-payments!" he said, before gesturing towards the hotel. "In the meantime, I'll have my staff prepare complimentary rooms for all of you – free of charge!"

The crowd cheered at that, while Ron's expression collapsed. "Yeah. Sure. Refund."

As the crowd – including a despondent Ron – headed towards Surfer's Paradise, Lo let out a mild squeal, clapping her hands. "Daddy, that was _awesome!_"

James chuckled. "I didn't build this hotel-chain by letting opportunity pass, honey." His expression turned stern. "Why do I get the feeling that you had something to do with this, Ben?"

Ben gulped. "If I did, sir – not that I'm saying I _did_ – it would _only_ have been for a _very_ good reason."

James arched an eyebrow. "Like getting those waves back?"

Ben nodded. "Yes, sir, _before_ they started mucking up the local economy, like the currents the local fishermen use."

James looked thoughtful. "I see." He glanced towards the hotel, before turning back. "Well, given that there's no harm done – and you seem to have bought me some good PR with Ron's soon-to-be-ex-clientele – I suppose I can let this pass." He sighed. "Just _try_ to keep your watch's use under wraps? Next time, I might not be _able_ to talk someone out of calling the Coast Guard."

Ben nodded. "Yes, sir." As James walked off, Ben drooped a little. "It's an uneasy truce."

Lo pouted. "Don't say that! Daddy does like you, remember?"

"Maybe," Ben replied, "but I don't make it easy."

Lo's smile came back. "Being a hero never is," she cooed, "which reminds me: I owe you a kiss."

Ben grinned. "That you do." Taking her boyfriend by the hand, Lo led him away from the hotel beach, heading towards the staff-house.

By the time they got there, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky and the sand a myriad shades of red and gold – the perfect setting for a romantic moment. As the two of them walked onto the patio, Lo happily pounced on Ben, winding her arms around his neck as she kissed him. His eyes going wide as Lo's tongue teased his wisdom teeth, Ben felt his desires flare to match hers, folding his arms around her slim waist as he returned her kiss with equal passion. Moaning blissfully through their kiss, Lo let the momentum of their embrace move them backwards…until Ben tripped, falling back into the patio-hammock, taking Lo with him.

As they both tumbled, Lo let out a squeak of surprise, but once she came to a stop on Ben's chest, she giggled, before picking right up where she'd left off, her hands trailing over Ben's toned chest. Ben matched her passions inch for inch, his lips leaving hers to explore her neck, letting one hand trace the silky skin of her lower back, while the other gently caressed the back of her thigh as she draped one leg over his. Gasping with pleasure, Lo craned her head up to suckle on Ben's earlobe, encouraging him to hold her closer…

"_LO!_ What the _hell?_"

Their magic moment completely shattered, Lo turned away from Ben to glower over her shoulder at her brother. "_Rude_ much, Tyler?"

Ben wasn't any happier about it than she was. "Didn't we clear all this up, Ty?"

Ty looked green. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want to _see_ you two!" he complained. "God, I used to sleep on that hammock!"

Lo rolled her eyes. "Okay, when you see Mom and Daddy doing each other on the kitchen table, _then_ you can complain!" she retorted.

Ben grimaced. "Did you _have_ to remind me of that, Lo?"

Lo flushed. "Sorry, baby; the point is, this is _tame_ compared to what I've walked in on _him_ doing with his hook-ups." As she glanced at her brother's attire – casual khakis and a white sleeveless t-shirt under a dark blue zip-up t-shirt – her expression turned quizzical. "Speaking of which, you're going out, aren't you?"

Ty shrugged. "Yeah, me, Reef, Broseph, and Johnny were headed to the Quintuple Overhead. So what?"

Lo sighed. "I knew it. You only get dressed up when you're trying to – wait, _WHAT?_" Her sigh turned to a surprised shriek as she bolted to her feet, sending Ben tumbling to the patio. "_Johnny's_ going with you?"

The moment she'd said that, Johnny walked out of the staff-house onto the patio, his work-attire exchanged for black slacks, a white t-shirt, and a stylish black casual jacket. "Okay, Ty; ready when you are."

Blinking, Lo glanced over her friend's choice of attire. "Wow. Not bad, Johnny," she remarked, before she shook her head to clear it. "Now, explain this to me: _what. Are. You. DOING?_"

Johnny's expression was flat. "_Moving on,_ Lo."

By then, Reef and Broseph had emerged from the staff-house; Reef had donned his black t-shirt and red board-shorts, while Broseph had thrown on a floral Hawaiian t-shirt and dark green shorts. Spotting Johnny, Broseph grinned, tossing him a thumbs-up. "Lookin' sharp, Front Desk Guy!"

Johnny shrugged. "Good to hear!" he said. "Now, can we get going..?"

"Guys! Guys!"

Johnny trailed off as Emma, still in her bikini and carrying her board, raced up from the beach. "I just had the most _awesome_ sesh out there, and…_J-Johnny?_"

The sight of Johnny's new look momentarily stalled Emma's greeting, while Johnny just shrugged. "Hey, Emma."

Emma stumbled for words. "You're…y-you look…_wow._"

Johnny folded his arms. "You were saying something?"

"H-Huh? Oh, right!" Her cheer came back. "The surf's totally overhead! You gotta come see!" Her smile grew. "It's a perfect time for flip-tricks!"

Johnny's flat stare started to turn into a frown. "Maybe later, Emma."

Emma's eyes widened with surprise. "B-But…but you said…"

"I said I'd help you in the _afternoon_, Emma; it's _evening_, now," Johnny corrected. "Right now, I made plans to head out with the guys; contrary to what you might think, I _do_ have a life."

Emma's lower lip quivered. "I-I never said you didn't…"

"No, you just expect that life to revolve around _you._"

Her cherry eyebrows dipped with hurt, Emma tried to stay cool. "J-Johnny?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"_Not_ with me, there's not."

Her eyebrow ticking, Lo stared right at Johnny. "Johnny. Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure, Lo."

Lo's eyes narrowed. "Are you _sure?_"

"_Yes,_ Lo! I'm sure!" With that, he motioned towards the other guys. "Okay, guys, I'm good to go."

Promptly, Ty, Reef, and Broseph started to head towards the bus-stop. "Don't wait up, sis," Ty said.

Johnny started to follow them, but briefly looked back. "See you later."

"Uh…yeah," Emma murmured. "See you." As Johnny walked out of sight, Emma wilted. "So much for Johnny liking me, Lo."

Lo flinched. "Look, Emma, I'm sure there's a good explanation for…"

"Yeah, whatever," Emma replied. "I'm just…gonna go read in our room, okay?" She sighed. "I'm not in the mood to surf, right now."

As Emma walked into the staff-house, Lo let out a half-strangled shriek. "What just _happened?_ We _almost_ had Emma noticing Johnny likes her, and he does _this?_ _What the hell's gotten into him?_"

Ben placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lo…remember how I said meddling in friend's personal lives wasn't a great idea?"

"Don't be helpful, Ben!" Lo huffed. "Ooh, _boy_ is Johnny getting it when he gets back! He'd better have a good explanation for this..!"

XXXXXXXX

_Quintuple Overhead, Sunset Beach_

'_Okay, WHY did I think this was a good idea, again?_'

Once the sun had set, the Quintuple Overhead quickly came alive, proving why it was the go-to club for local teens – legal or otherwise – looking for a good party; with the onset of twilight, it had almost instantly become packed with both tanned surfer-dudes and lithe beach-bunnies, all in casual wear as they gyrated to the flashing lights and pulsing music…

…while leaving Johnny feeling like a third wheel.

Looking around, Johnny felt an envious twinge as he first saw Ty, his arm around a curvaceous blonde babe, happily looking on as he talked about his latest surf-documentary; a few feet away, he spotted Reef trying to chat up a pretty redhead, who was significantly less-than-impressed; glancing towards the arcade, he had to chuckle as he saw Broseph loading up a game with quarters, before taking the controls alongside a copper-skinned, short-dark-haired beauty, the one he'd heard his fellow surfer talking about, if he was right.

Now that he thought about it, _he_ was the only single person in the club; he'd tried chatting up several girls on or around the dance-floor, but none of them seemed to "click" with him…not like how he'd felt with Emma…

Johnny grimaced. '_Oh, God, what am I doing here?_' he thought glumly. '_I don't belong here, and the only girl who MIGHT have wanted me here is a total no-show!_' With that thought, he turned to go…

Suddenly, the crowd of dancers seemed to part for him, allowing Johnny to see right down to the pool-tables…where _she_ was.

Charmina had exchanged her bikini for a slinky, light magenta cocktail dress, barely reaching mid-thigh, her mauve eyes fixed directly on his, and her perfectly kissable pink mouth curved in a knowing smile as she pointed a finger in his direction, crooking it back in a beckoning gesture.

For a moment, Johnny was _sure_ she couldn't have meant him. Looking back over both shoulders, he found no-one else there, prompting him to look back at her, pointing to himself. '_Me?_'

With a silent giggle, Charmina nodded.

Feeling a doofus grin cross his face, Johnny walked towards her, his eyes never leaving hers, as if drawn by some magical force. Finally, he was mere inches away from her. "Uh…hi."

Now Mina's giggle was audible. "You came."

Johnny's grin felt wide enough to break his face. "So did you."

Her teeth gliding alluringly over her lower lip, Mina looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I'm glad."

Johnny almost fell over. "Me too."

Her smile growing, Mina gestured to the pool-table, picking up a pool-cue. "Care to play?"

Johnny followed suit. "Sure," he replied. "Ladies first."

He was rewarded with Mina's alluring giggle. "Such a gentleman," she cooed, lining up her cue to break. "I have to warn you: I'm not very good at this." With that, she took her shot, scattering the pool-balls. "Your turn."

Johnny shrugged. "Hey, neither am I," he admitted, lining up a shot to sink the solid 1-ball. He took the shot, which connected, sinking the ball like magic and ricocheting…to sink the 2-ball.

Then the 3-ball.

Then the 4-, 5-, 6-, and _7-_balls, ending with the 8-ball rolling into a corner pocket.

Johnny tried not to look as bug-eyed as he felt. "Although I'm obviously better than I thought I was."

Charmina's impressed smile quickly dispelled his disbelief. "Obviously!" she agreed, setting her cue down, as her smile turned nervous. "Listen, can we get out of here?" she asked. "I'd prefer somewhere a little more…private."

Thoughts of refusing her were nowhere _near_ Johnny's mind. "I think I have an idea." Extending his hand to her, Johnny's doofus grin came back as she accepted; taking a brief second to marvel at the softness of her touch, he led her out of the club.

An utter contrast to the club, the nearby beach was all but empty, and perfectly quiet as Johnny and Charmina strolled along the coastline, with only the moonlight and the whispering surf in the background. Smiling happily, Mina turned to him, her lustrous silver tresses floating around her head as the enamoured wind played with her hair. "This is nice."

Johnny shrugged. "Beats trying to shout with each other over the club music."

Mina giggled. "Yeah, not fun!" she agreed. "Plus, a moonlight walk is a better fit for a romantic date, wouldn't you think?"

'"_Date!" "Date!" She thinks of this as a date!_' Johnny managed to keep his mental exclamations to himself. "Definitely."

As she stopped, Mina met his gaze with a wistful smile. "Thank you."

Johnny paused. "For what?"

"This. Being such a great guy. Being here…with me." Mina's pink eyes started to mist. "I…I really needed it."

Worry for her instantly flooded Johnny. He managed a smile, so as not to upset her. "Thank _you_ for agreeing to meet me here." As that earned a laugh from her, Johnny took a step closer. "Is…everything okay?"

Charmina sniffled. "I-I'm sorry; I don't want to wreck things by…b-by opening up my baggage…"

Johnny's reassuring hand gently touched her forearm, as carefully as he'd approach an injured fawn. "You're not wrecking anything, Mina. If something's upsetting you, I want to know about it."

Mina's lip quivered, as she hugged herself. "I…I-I just got out of a bad relationship," she whimpered. "I used to think that…that he was the greatest; now I wonder how I could have ever been so _stupid._" She sniffled again. "He…he…"

Crystal tears started flowing down her eyes. "…he…h-hurt me…"

Johnny's insides twisted with a mixture of anguish, horror, and fury: anguish at Mina's pain, horror that some _monster_ had hurt her, and a furious desire to _murder_ said monster. By some miracle, he managed to reign in enough of the fury and horror to empathize – gently, he reached to her face, brushing away her tears. "What kind of _monster_ could ever hurt someone as perfect as you?"

Mina sniffled, forcing a teary smile. "T-Thank you…"

Johnny took a deep breath. "I know it's nothing like what you've been through, but…I _do_ have some idea of a few things you're feeling."

Charmina's eyes went wide. "Did…did someone hurt you, too?"

Johnny shook his head. "No, no; it's just…I know a bit about relationships not working out how you wanted them to." He sighed. "At work, there's this girl I used to like; she's nice to me, but…I'm "just a friend."" He paused for a second. "I-I'm not trying to diminish what you're feeling, but…I know how it can hurt." He drooped. "If that makes any sense."

Charmina smiled again. "It does," she cooed. "And, for the record, this girl you're talking about is _insane_ to not want you as a boyfriend." Her smile turned wistful as she hugged herself. "The _second_ I saw you this morning, I knew – somehow, I _knew_ you'd never hurt me."

Johnny's entire world was _spinning_ at those words. "M-Mina…I…I think I should give you fair warning," he panted. "If you're not interested in me, you'd better say so now and make tracks…because in five _seconds_ you'll be wearing my lips for the rest of the evening."

Charmina's gaze turned positively feline, as she moved closer to him, the motion of her tongue turning those pink lips irresistibly moist. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5; I'm still here, John." At those words, Johnny was on autopilot, sweeping Charmina into his arms, resting one hand protectively on the small of her back, the other caressing the nape of her neck as he guided her up towards him, meeting her lips with his own…and time _stopped._

The very instant Johnny kissed her, he swore he felt the earth moving beneath him, before it went still; as his tongue met and danced with hers, the stars above turned to fireworks, blazing across the night sky, with only the sound of Charmina's blissful moans to fill his ears, made all the sweeter as she rested her silken hands on his chest, relaxing into him. By the time they reluctantly parted to breathe, Johnny could still see spots, his expression one of glazed-over joy. "_Wow…_"

Giggling, Mina happily buried her face in the crook of his neck. "You can say that again, handsome," she purred…while making sure to keep her knowing smirk out of sight.

She'd _known_ that Ben Tennyson was here, if the recent "monster" sightings were any clue. She'd also known that, where he went, his magician cousin – "Lucky Girl," though she doubted she went by that name, anymore – was never far behind. Added to the recent museum exhibit, and it was a _perfect_ setup.

All she needed was a cover and accomplice…and now she had one.

Leaning back, his eyes tinged pink from her spell, his expression still goofy, Johnny looked into her eyes. "Charmina…will you be my girlfriend?"

Quickly replacing her smirk with a happy smile, Charmcaster nodded. "Oh, John, I thought you'd _never_ ask me!"

XXXXXXXX

_**Omnitrix Database**_

_**File-name:**__ Way Big_

_**Species-name:**__ To'kustar_

_**Home planet:**__ Cosmic storms_

_**Abilities:**__ Subject possesses size, mass, and strength far in excess of any other known species; average height falls between 100 and 200 feet. Subject's epidermis is of extremely high density, supplying significant resistance to injury to all known trauma, up to and including military-grade Class 5 technology. Subject's epidermis is reinforced by a biomagnetic field of similar type to most known planets, permitting survival in cosmic radiation far in excess of 91 MSv. Subject's cranial fin serves a stabilizing function to maintain balance, which allows subject to run at terrestrial speeds comparable to Kinecelerans; subject can be momentarily disoriented if cranial fin is subjected to sufficient blunt-force trauma, although no known force is sufficient to cause death. Subject possesses no observable breathing apparatus, both indicating an anaerobic metabolism and enabling sustained survivability in vacuum; little else about subject's metabolism is known. Subject can also generate and control cosmic rays, projecting them in single-emission bursts or sustained bursts typical of cosmic storms; low-level single bursts are typically of sufficient strength to trigger wide-scale radiation sickness on any planet in its path, whereas higher-level bursts can trigger catastrophic electromagnetic cascades within planets possessing liquid/solid-metal cores. Mercifully, such high-level bursts have been observed only once._

_**Description:**__ The gentle giants of the cosmos, the To'kustar race was discovered entirely by accident when Galvan astronomers observed several cosmic storms exhibiting accelerated and decelerated motion. An expedition to the storms in question soon revealed all: the storm was in fact a colony of To'kustars, migrating across deep space._

_Analysis of To'kustar behaviour suggests intelligence comparable to the whales and dolphins of Earth; despite a lack of breathing organs, To'kustars are capable of producing vocal sounds, although communication in deep space is likely achieved by extreme-low-level cosmic burst-patterns. This capability also suggests that To'kustars have visited other planets before…which potentially explains the cultural phenomenon of giant humanoid monster-movies in the Earth-nation of Japan._

_Coming Soon:_

_In the wake of his hookup, Johnny sees himself as a whole new man, to the approval of some of the groms…and the dismay of others._

_But with a new baddie on the prowl around Sunset Beach, Ben and his team may be too busy to help straighten things out…_

…_until it becomes clear that Johnny's new flame is hardly the sweetheart she seems to be._

_Will our heroes get to the bottom of this mystery?_

_Find out, when Johnny's "Black Magic Woman" sets her scheme in motion…_


	2. Black-Magic Woman

CHAPTER TWO: BLACK-MAGIC WOMAN

_Museum of Natural History, Sunset Beach, B.C., August 2, 2010_

As the moonlight shone through the windows of Sunset Beach's lone museum, all was silent, save only the imperceptible sounds of dust settling…and the blinking of the security console's silent alarm.

Lying semi-conscious at the entrance to the Antiquities Exhibit, the lone security guard groaned as four hulking shapes, with mauve-glowing eyes that matched the lines of force running through their bodies, lumbered into the Exhibit, leaving behind the hole they'd smashed in the wall. Shambling past the display-cases housing ancient masks, carvings, and various other artefacts, they stopped in front of one cylindrical case lined with security beams, housing a beautiful aquamarine necklace, with a brilliant sapphire embedded in it. Glancing at the necklace, the lead figure reached for it…

"Don't even _think_ about it, buster!"

Turning around, the four hulking figures came face-to-face with Ben, Gwen, and Kevin, who'd simply followed them in through their entry-hole. His eyes narrowed, Ben moved his hand over the Omnitrix's dial. "Why don't you chumps just surrender now and spare yourselves a butt-kicking?"

The four figures just stared at the three of them, before darting straight at them; one grabbed a display-case and threw it, forcing an annoyed Gwen to block it. "They never listen."

"Nope," Kevin agreed, cracking his knuckles and then touching a nearby suit of armour, turning his skin to living steel. "Still, you gotta admit, the hard way's more fun." And he punctuated his quip with a lightning-fast jab at the second figure as it moved into the moonlight…revealing it as some kind of golem, infused with eldritch energy, before Kevin's strike fractured its featureless face, disrupting the energy and reducing it to dust.

Popping up the control-dial, Ben quickly selected Fourarms as two of the mystical golems shambled towards him, and slammed the dial down…only to grimace as the image shifted right before his palm connected with the dial. '_Oh, CRAP!_'

His mental expletive came too late as the Omnitrix started cycling, the Omni-wave engulfing him completely to remake his DNA; his shoulders turned incredibly broad, while his arm-musculature more than quadrupled, as his fingers sprouted small claws, in contrast to the singular large claw that grew from the top of his wrist. His entire body grew a fine coat of fur, followed by his spine growing out from the bottom, but only slightly, ending in a stubby tail, while his ears shifted upwards, flattening against the top of his head, finishing with his canine teeth extending into fangs behind his now-cleft upper lip…

…and when the green glow died away, in Ben's place now stood a tall, muscular, feline humanoid, with tiger-like orange-black striped fur, as well as white on the underbelly, and slitted, narrow green eyes, matching the glow of the control-dial on his chest. "_RATH!_"

Noticing the new form of his teammate, Kevin groaned. "Picked a fine time to break in a new guy, Ben; this guy better be good."

Said new alien – Rath – bristled. "_LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHIN', KEVIN LEVIN!_" he exploded. "_THERE AIN'T NOBODY BETTER AT WASTIN' BADDIES THAN RATH!_" As one golem wandered close, Rath proved his point, slamming it with an uppercut, before spinning into a back-fist strike, extending his claw to cleave its head from its shoulders.

Raising a barrier to repel one golem, Gwen sighed. "One word, Ben: _decaf!_" she admonished. As her opponent stumbled back, Gwen molded her shield to encircle it. "In any case, something is obviously animating these golems; keep the other two off me while I probe it, will you?"

Rath sulked. "_'KAY,_" he rumbled. As the last golem lumbered towards Gwen, to free its comrade, Kevin moved to intercept it, slamming it with a leap-kick to stun it, before following with an uppercut…

…only to find that the stone beast wasn't as dazed as he'd thought.

With surprising speed, the golem countered Kevin's attack with a submission-lock, followed by a throw that slammed him into the wall, stunning him.

Rath saw _red._ "_LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHIN', STONE-FACE! __**NOBODY**__ SMACKS MY PALS AROUND!_" Racing at the golem, Rath pounced at it, claws extended as he sliced into it, tearing off its arms, then its legs, and then half its torso, before he grabbed it and threw it across the room…

…where it smashed into the golem Gwen had captured, destroying them both.

Rath paled. "_OOPS._"

Irate, Gwen frowned at Rath. "_Ben!_ You just smashed our only lead!"

Kevin chuckled. "How about that; it wasn't _me_, this time."

Rath looked mildly sulky. "_HE MADE ME MAD._"

Gwen frowned. "Change back, right now; I don't trust you with that guy!"

Frowning, Rath tapped the control-dial, which deposited a wobbly Ben in his place. "_Whoa_, was that _ever_ weird!" he exclaimed. "Good call, Gwen; Rath feels like two gallons of attitude stuffed in a one-gallon hat!"

Gwen sighed. "And you're just realizing this _now?_"

Thankfully, Kevin changed the subject. "Did you get anything off that thing?"

"Not much; just enough to know that there was another mana-user controlling it, and that they're _very_ close," Gwen answered. "As in, within two miles of here."

Ben buried his head in his hands. "Not anymore; they're probably gone, by now, thanks to Rath's little tantrum."

As sirens started blaring in the distance, Kevin gulped. "Right now, booking sounds like a good plan." No-one made any argument at that, prompting the three of them to hurry out of the museum before the police arrived.

By the time police-cars had surrounded the museum, Ben, Gwen, and Kevin were on a rooftop several miles away, watching the cops fan out. "Think they have any idea what went down?" Kevin asked.

Ben blinked. "Do _we?_"

Gwen looked thoughtful. "Well, whoever was controlling them seemed pretty interested in that necklace."

"Sounds like we'll need to hit the research archives," Ben said…as he yawned. "After we get some shut-eye?"

Kevin checked his watch…and grimaced. "Four hours 'till punch-in. Great."

Gwen shrugged. "You guys always have your breaks for research."

Ben snorted. "And what about you? Don't you have a day off?"

Gwen beamed. "Yeah, which is why Fin is giving me a surf-lesson!"

At his girlfriend's squeal, Kevin flinched. "And that's why I have an ear-appointment."

Ben laughed, as they headed for Kevin's car. "Come on, guys; let's get out of here while Kevin still has his hearing."

"It's a bit late for that, Tennyson."

XXXXXXXX

_Surfer's Paradise, August 3, 2010_

"_AAAAAAAAAAHHH! Help, help!_"

The relative tranquility of the early morning was shattered by Wipeout's cry as the hotel mascot ran – or waddled – for his life, chased by two red-headed mini-menaces on skateboards. From their viewpoint next to Johnny's strangely empty desk, Reef and Broseph, both on break, could only stare with sympathy. "Man, Todd and Mark need some kinda hobby, bro."

Reef nodded. "At least one that doesn't involve cruelty to mascots, man."

Emerging from the elevator with the Marvin parents, a mildly distraught Andrew Baumer, in uniform, gestured towards said kids with a wavering smile. "As you can see, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin, Todd and Mark are making quite the racket, and it's disturbing some of our other guests; we have plenty of outdoor activities for them, so if you wouldn't mind..?"

Glancing towards her two rampant sons, the somewhat-rotund Mrs. Marvin shook her head. "Oh, they're just playing!"

Nodding in agreement, the equally-portly Mr. Marvin added, "They're not hurting anyone!"

His eye rapidly ticking, Bummer forced a smile. "Of…of course!"

Frantic, Wipeout waddled for the exit, but his twin tormentors were gaining on him; there was no way he'd make it…

Suddenly, the doors slid open, as Johnny casually strolled into the lobby, a calm smile on his face. Walking past the fleeing Wipeout, Johnny stopped, and grabbed the Marvin twins by the collars as they rolled into reach. "Hey! Leggo!" Mark shouted. "Or we'll tell our folks on..!"

He never got a chance to finish, as Johnny set them down on the floor, and with two quick toe-taps, flipped the two skateboards into the air, catching them with a master's ease. Todd's mouth dropped open. "Whoa…"

With an easy grin, Johnny handed the skateboards back to them. "There's a skate-park out back, guys; you mind shreddin' out _there?_" he asked. "Snack-Shack should be on gear-rental and café-duty; just tell him Johnny sent you, and he'll give you a sweet deal!"

Mark blinked. "Uh…okay."

Chuckling, Johnny winked at them. "Cool." With that, he headed towards his desk.

Mrs. Marvin was furious. "Just _what_ did you think you were doing, manhandling my sons?" she exploded. "I have a good mind to..!"

"Mrs. M., lookin' fly!" Johnny greeted. "I just heard yesterday that the head waitress _wished_ she had your figure!"

Blushing, Mrs. Marvin stumbled. "W-Well, t-thank you…b-but that still doesn't excuse..!"

"Hope you didn't mind me hittin' the brakes on your kids' playing, Mrs. M.; I just noticed that they didn't have safety-gear, so I sent 'em to the skate-park," Johnny continued. "Gave 'em a discount on snacks and equipment, too."

Mrs. Marvin blinked, the wind taken completely from her sails. "Oh. Well…good."

Johnny grinned. "In the meantime, why don't you two enjoy the beach? The surf's totally overhead, and the surf-instructor should be back in a few!" he suggested, pointing at Mr. Marvin. "I _know_ I saw you shredding killer waves yesterday, Mr. M.!"

Mr. Marvin started to smile. "Well, I'm getting the hang of things," he admitted. "I suppose things seem to be in order." He glanced to his wife. "How about it, honey? Care to hit the beach?"

Mrs. Marvin smiled back. "Oh…why not?"

As the two walked off, Johnny's grin grew. "Okay; have fun, you two!"

With the Marvins out of earshot, Bummer beamed. "Johnny, that was _AMAZING!_" he exclaimed. "I've been running myself _ragged_ dealing with those two, but you had them…_eating out of your HAND!_"

Johnny shrugged. "What can I say, Boss? I learned from the _best._"

Bummer's grin was so wide, it looked like his face might crack. "Keep this up, and you'll be looking at a raise for _sure_…and maybe a _promotion!_" he declared. As he turned to go, his scowl instantly came back as he spotted Reef and Broseph. "Pay _attention_, slackers; you could _learn_ something from Johnny!"

Once Bummer had walked away, Reef grinned. "Normally, I'd be ticked at Bummer harshing on us…but, _DUDE!_" he exclaimed. "Talk about _smooth!_"

Johnny smirked. "Well, you know what they say: "behind every good man is a good woman.""

Broseph laughed. "Man, I _thought_ I saw you leavin' with that silver-haired fox, bro! Way to _go!_"

Reef grinned. "Now, didn't we _tell_ you that you needed to move on?"

Johnny chuckled. "You actually called that one right, man," he agreed. "A weight is _off_ my shoulders; the H.M.C.S. Emma Mackenzie has sailed, and the U.S.S. _Charmina_ was more than happy to take her spot."

Reef nodded. "Congrats, man; you just shredded your "Let's Just Be Friends" Club membership card, and gotten your Guy Club card back! How's it feel?"

Johnny inhaled deeply, and let it out with a smile. "Pretty darn good, man…"

"_Where is he?_"

That irate female shout made the three of them freeze as an indignant Lo, in her DR wench-uniform, stormed out of the DR towards them. "What the hell _was_ that yesterday, Johnny?" she snapped, hands on her hips. "Emma was about to open up to you, and you _completely_ shut her down! Do you know how much damage-control Fin and I will have to _do_ just to get her talking to you, again?"

To Reef and Broseph's surprise, Johnny folded his arms stonily, not flinching one bit. "Actually, I do, Lo: _none,_" he replied. "That whole thing where you and Fin were trying to get Emma to like me? You can drop it, now; I'm over it."

Lo's eyes narrowed. "_Excuse_ me?"

"Contrary to what you and Fin may think, I'm actually quite the catch," Johnny replied. "If Emma's not interested, I do have other options." He smirked. "As I found out yesterday."

Lo's eyebrow ticked. "_What?_"

"It's true, bra; just last morning, this total uberfox walked up to the desk and started flirting with the dude!" Broseph exclaimed.

Reef nodded. "And last night, after my sage advice, he hooked up with said hottie!" he finished. "Our little Front Desk Guy is growing a pair; I couldn't be more proud."

Johnny frowned. "Thanks."

Lo was flabbergasted. "Are you…are you _kidding_ me?" she shrieked. "You mean after all Fin and I did, you're just going to drop Emma for some…some kind of beach-hussy..?"

"_JON-JON!_"

Lo quickly had to cut off her tirade as a little African-Canadian girl, in pink shorts and a light rose t-shirt, with her hair in pigtails, darted across the lobby floor to tackle into a laughing Johnny, knocking them both to the floor, with her on his lap, hugging the stuffing out of him. "Hey, Mel!"

Giggling, Melanie gave her brother another hug. "I'm so happy to see you!" she chirped. "Are you still gonna teach me how to surf? Can we build sand-castles, too? What about..?"

A gentle laugh interrupted her. "Melanie, give your brother a chance to breathe!"

Setting his sister back on her feet, Johnny stood up to greet his mother. "Hey, Mom."

Smiling back, Bethany St. James – in her 40s, a bit shorter than her son, and willowy, with long dark hair tinged with hints of silver, and coffee-hued eyes, clad in a light violet short-sleeved blouse and light grey long skirt – moved to hug Johnny. "It's good to see you, honey."

Johnny hugged back. "You too, Mom."

Melanie quickly jumped back in. "Mommy, can Jon-Jon and I go surfing, now? You said we could!"

Bethany sighed. "Yes, I did, Melanie…_after_ we get checked in."

Johnny caught on. "Don't worry, Mel – it shouldn't take long!" he assured her. "Oh, that reminds me: Mel, Mom, these are three of my coworkers; Reef, Broseph, Lo, these are my Mom and baby sis Melanie."

Grinning, Broseph waved. "Hey, Mrs. St. J.," he greeted, before looking to Melanie. "S'up, mini-dudette?"

Reef looked forlorn. "Dude, tell us you're not sticking us with babysitting duty…"

Melanie frowned. "_Not_ a baby!"

Johnny sighed. "Relax, Reef: Broseph's the only bellhop, around here," he said.

The whole time, Bethany had been fixing a wary eye on Lo. ""Lo"?" she repeated. "As in the little girl who got the RCMP sent up here because of a party?"

Lo sighed. "_Yes_, Mrs. St. James, that was me; and as you can see by this grody uniform, I'm _doing_ my time for it! Can we _please_ move on?"

Bethany calmed down. "I suppose so."

Moving to a luggage-cart, Broseph waved to Melanie. "Come on, mini-dudette; these carts are awesome to ride on!" he said, but Johnny and Bethany's glares made him re-phrase that statement. "Uh…not that I'd know or anything…"

Melanie beamed. "Can I, Jon-Jon?"

Johnny managed a smile. "You can help Broseph with the luggage, Mel, but _no_ riding on the carts; they're not toys."

"But Jon-Jon…"

"_No_ buts, Mel," Johnny insisted. "Besides, Broseph needs help to get it done; the faster you and Mom get moved in, the sooner you get your surfing-lesson!"

Melanie beamed. "Okay!" With that, she scampered after Broseph.

Lo sighed as she turned to go. "I guess I'd better get back to work," she said, before frowning at Johnny, "but this talk _so_ isn't done, buster."

As she watched Melanie hurry off, Bethany chuckled. "And I still can't get her to eat broccoli even _half_ that fast."

Johnny shrugged. "It's a mystery, Mom," he answered. "Anyway, I've got the last bit of paperwork for you to sign, so…" He paused as his phone rang. "Hang on, Mom," he said, before fishing out the phone to answer it. "Hello?"

"_Hi, handsome._"

The sound of that sultry voice sent waves of desire running up and down his spine. "M-Mina, hi!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect to hear from you, this early; I was going to call, this afternoon..!"

"_I know, John; I was, too…but I just couldn't get you or the way you kissed me last night out of my head…_"

Johnny felt his face turn rosy. "I-I've been thinking about that a lot, too, Mina."

Charmina's voice turned breathy. "_I've got to see you, today, John; if I can't be near you…_"

Johnny's knees started wobbling. "Uh…c-could we get together sometime this evening, Mina?" he suggested. "It's just…I know it sounds lame, but I promised my baby sister I'd give her surf-lessons."

Charmina's sultry voice instantly turned saccharine. "_Awwwww! That's so sweet!_" she cooed, before giggling. "_Mind if I join you, then? I'd love to meet her!_"

Johnny scratched his head. "I don't know, Mina; I'd rather not move _too_ fast…"

Mina's chiming giggle magically erased his worries. "_I'll be on my best behaviour, John; I promise!_" she said. "_I'd rather save the naughty stuff for when we're __**alone.**_"

Johnny felt his head start to spin. "Well…okay, Mina; we'll be at the beach in an hour, or so."

"_Great! I'll be sure to bring my board! See you then!_"

As the call ended, Johnny felt himself grin…which did not go unnoticed. "So who is she?"

His mother's inquiry caused Johnny to go a bit red. "Who's who, Mom?"

Bethany folded her arms. "The girl you were just talking to," she clarified. "The one that got you so hot under the collar. I wasn't aware you were with anyone, Jonathan."

Johnny sighed. "We only met yesterday, Mom; Charmina and I met here, we hit it off, and then we met up in town," he answered. "She seems really nice, and I really like her; what's the problem?"

Bethany looked worried. "Nothing, except you seem to be going a bit fast," she said. "Didn't you tell me you liked one of the new girls working here? What was her name, again? Emily?"

"_Emma_, Mom," Johnny corrected. "And yeah, I _did_ like her. _Past_ tense." A scowl crossed his face. "That's what happens when a girl says a guy is "just a friend.""

Now it was Bethany's turn to frown. "And just what's wrong with being friends with a girl, mister?"

"Nothing, if _all_ you want is friendship," Johnny countered. "But when you want more, being "just a friend" is like getting sprayed with acid. _Repeatedly._"

Bethany sighed. "Aren't you exaggerating?"

Johnny's eyes narrowed. "Would _you_ have been happy if _you_ were "just a friend" to _Dad?_"

The second he said it, Johnny knew it was a mistake; as his mother's face clouded with hurt and grief, he backpedalled _fast_. "Oh, _God_, Mom…I didn't mean to…you _knew_ what I meant, right?" he pleaded. "How would you have felt if someone you _really_ cared for didn't think of you any more than anyone else?"

Bethany started to calm. "I…I understand what you mean, Jonathan," she said. "But don't you think you should give this Emma girl more credit? She might start to see you as more than a friend…"

"Mom, I've helped her with surfing, with work, and even helped save her _life_ once, and she's _still_ hung up on a guy that can barely remember her name. If none of that won her over, there's _no_ hope," Johnny finished. "If Emma wants to waste her time chasing a guy like that, that's _her_ call, but I don't think it's fair that I should have to wait around for her – not when there are girls that _are_ interested, like Charmina."

Bethany sighed sadly. "I see what you're saying, John," she said, "but I still don't want you to get hurt by rushing into things."

Johnny smiled gently. "I won't, Mom; you taught me better than that."

Bethany smiled back. "You're a good boy, Jonathan," she said. "Well, if your heart is set on seeing this "Charmina" girl, I would like to meet her, before I leave."

Johnny grinned. "I think we can arrange that," he answered. "Anyway, I still need to get you and Mel signed in; if you'll just step into my office..?"

Leading his mother towards his desk, Johnny fished out the necessary paperwork, while his mind drifted elsewhere; as much as part of him wanted to agree with her and give Emma another chance, the rest of him knew it was a waste of time.

He was the _last_ thing Emma was thinking about.

XXXXXXXX

Try as she might, Emma couldn't stop thinking about Johnny.

Sitting on the hotel beach, her surfboard buried in the sand, Emma gazed glumly out at the waves; she'd intended to go for a sesh to clear her head…but that had faded once she'd arrived.

"…_you just expect that life to revolve around you._"

"_Not with me, there's not._"

Johnny's words kept echoing in her head, over and over; his cold dismissal had come _completely_ out of left field, utterly flooring her. '_Where the heck did THAT come from?_' she wondered. '_What'd I do to get Johnny so flavoured..?_'

"Oh, hey, Ella."

At the misspelling of her name, Emma started to frown as she glanced up at Lo's brother. "Hey, Ty."

His board in hand, Ty smiled as he looked out at the surf. "Waves any good?"

Emma shrugged. "I guess."

Ty blinked. "Okay," he mused. "Just wanted to grab a couple waves before I met up with Cindy."

Emma felt her eyes narrow. "Who's that, your girlfriend?" '_What's that, your third one, this month?_'

"Kinda; we just met at the Quintuple Overhead, last night," Ty answered casually. "That reminds me; I should ask Johnny how his evening went – lost sight of him, a few minutes in."

Emma felt her teeth grinding. "Wow, you're a heck of a friend."

Oblivious to the veiled shot, Ty grinned. "Thanks!" he replied. "Anyway, I was thinking of heading back there, sometime; you should totally tag along, Ella…"

"_It's EMMA!_"

That shout ripped out of Emma's mouth before she could stop herself, her fury going on autopilot. "_E! M! M! A! No L's!_" she shrieked, terrifying Ty into silence. "_How fricking hard is that to remember, you jerk?_"

Ty was pale. "_Whoa_, simmer down, betty; what's with the aggro all of a sudden?"

""All of a sudden"? This is weeks in the _making_, you tool!" Emma exploded. "I liked you since I _got_ here, and you can't even get my _name_ right, and you've been chasing every shallow little beach-bunny that walks through the hotel doors while I was just sitting around _waiting_ for you to _notice_ me! _ARRRRRGGH!_"

Ty blinked. "You…_like_ me?"

Emma was ready to _strangle_ him. "Not _anymore_, you _kook!_" she yelled. "So go _ahead!_ _Chase_ this "Cindy" chick! I just hope _she_ has more sense than _I_ had, when I first met you!" With that, she picked up her surfboard and stormed off, heading back to the hotel.

By the time she reached the lobby doors, meeting Lo and Fin in their swimwear, boards in hand, Emma was still steamed. "Lo, your brother's a complete _jackass!_"

Lo sighed. "Oh, God, what did George do _now?_"

"Your _other_ brother!"

Fin's eyes went wide. "Holy…you're steamed at _Ty?_"

Emma nodded. "Not only did he get my name wrong _again,_ he's off chasing some _new_ beach-skank! I am so _done_ with that kook!" she declared. "I can't _believe_ I was dumb enough to fall for him! I should've told him off _weeks_ ago!"

Lo started to smile. "You…you told him off?"

"You bet your board I did, and I don't care if I get fired for it; I'd cuss that tool out again, if I had to!"

Fin cheered. "_Whooohooo!_ _That's_ our girl!" she exclaimed. "_Show_ that player who's boss!"

Lo looked mildly worried. "You're okay, right?" she inquired. "You're not upset?"

Emma groaned. "I'm just mad at myself for not seeing it sooner."

Lo let out a relieved sigh. "Well, _good!_ _Trust_ me, Emma: you can do _so_ much better!" She tossed Fin a knowing wink.

Fin caught on. "Yeah, Alberta; you should go for a guy that, for one thing, can remember your name."

"Well, _duh._"

Lo stepped in. "You should date a guy that's actually _nice_ to you."

Emma nodded. "Exactly!"

Fin jumped back in. "A guy that listens when you're stressed, and remembers what's bugging you."

"Yes!"

Lo smiled knowingly. "A guy that'll totally bend over backwards to help you, like with surf-tricks."

"Totally!"

Fin chuckled. "Maybe a guy that's good with kids, like his baby sister?"

"That'd be perfect!"

Lo smirked. "So basically, a guy like Johnny."

"Yes! _God_, if there was a single guy like Johnny, I'd _totally_ date him!" Emma exclaimed.

Lo and Fin just stared at her.

Slowly, Emma's eyes went wide, as her own statements raced through her brain, adding up to one shocking revelation. "_Oh. My. God._"

Fin grinned. "And the light-bulb _finally_ switches on."

Emma's face brightened into an incredulous smile. "J-Johnny's a…he's a Type _Three._"

Lo nodded, suppressing giggles. "_Took_ you long enough, Mackenzie."

Emma's smile grew. "I…I can't believe I didn't _see_ it…"

"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself, Alberta," Fin said, pointing a thumb towards Lo. "Remember, it took Princess here a good month or so before it occurred to her she might want to stake a claim on States."

"Oh, and like _you're_ better?" Lo sassed back. "You _still_ haven't figured out you like Reef!"

Fin's eyes narrowed. "Don't push it, Ridgemount. We just solved _one_ problem."

Rolling her eyes, Lo turned back to Emma, looking regretful. "Yeah, but now we have _another._"

Emma's smile faded. "Yeah, I know: for some reason, Johnny's mad at me," she agreed. "It'd help if I knew what I did!"

Fin groaned. "Yeah; it's not like you were ignoring him in favour of some kook, right?"

Emma blinked. "I-I wasn't ignoring Johnny!" she protested. "I just…I only…" but her voice trailed off, as all the times she'd interacted with Johnny came flooding back: all the times he'd been nice to her, offered to help her at work, or at surfing…

…and each and every single time, she'd been vocally obsessing over Ty, right in his _face._

Her eyes wide, Emma's expression turned to one of pure _horror._ "I…I'm…_I'm a HORRIBLE person!_" she cried. "I-I've been…I've been treating _Johnny_ the exact same way as _Ty's_ been treating _me!_"

Lo quickly tried to defuse her anxiety. "Okay, exaggerating much?" she asked. "You weren't _that_ bad!"

Fin was sympathetic, but not as much as Lo. "Yeah, Em, I wouldn't worry about karma going apespit on you…but, as much as I hate to play Guy's Advocate here, you _kinda_ had it coming: most guys would've walked _long_ before now, for a _whole_ lot less."

Emma didn't argue. "I-I've got to apologize to him!" she exclaimed. "Is he still inside?"

Lo shook her head. "He just left to go give his baby sis some surf-lessons at the beach," she answered, "but there's something you need to..!"

Emma didn't wait for the rest; she was already sprinting off towards the beach. Reaching the beach in less than a minute, she scanned the area, and spotted Johnny near the water's edge, in his wetsuit, with a duffel bag nearby, lying front-down on his board, with a little African-Canadian girl – Melanie – in a pink one-piece swimsuit, complete with a little frilly skirt, doing the same as her brother on a kid-sized board. "Okay, Mel; once you're in the water, you just have to paddle into a wave like this," Johnny coaxed, illustrating with several long strokes of his arms through the sand. "Then, once the wave _just_ starts to pass, you pop up: grab the front of the board with both hands, push yourself up just enough to get one knee up, and then carefully stand up!" With exaggerated motions, he popped up on his board. "Now you try!"

Concentrating, Melanie repeated her brother's motions: she grabbed her board, pushed up to get one foot on the board, and then stood up. "I did it! Jon-Jon, I did it!"

Johnny beamed. "Awesome, Mel!" he exclaimed. "Now, all you need is to practice that in the water before you try the waves."

"Okay!"

As adorable as that scene was, Emma didn't have time to enjoy it; taking a deep breath – and suppressing her mental '_squee!_' – she stepped forward. "Uh…Johnny?"

Johnny had just been about to wade into the water with his sister when he heard her; turning around, he looked towards her…and smiled. "Hey, you."

Relief came over Emma as she smiled back. "Hey, Johnny; I…I've been thinking about a few things…"

Emma's relief was short-lived. "Hey, handsome."

Emma's eyes went wide, as _another_ girl casually walked right _past_ her towards Johnny, who never took his eyes off her. Whoever she was, this new girl looked like she'd walked off the cover of a _modelling_ magazine. She was tall and dancer-lithe, with a chest-size most girls would _kill_ to have – Emma included. Even worse, the girl had a perfectly trim booty, and clear, unblemished moon-white skin, accentuated by a magenta bikini. Her hair – shimmery platinum silver – trailed long and silky down her back, her elegantly-lashed pink eyes glittering as her coral-pink lips curled up to smile back at Johnny, her slender arms carrying a pink-silver longboard, engraved with a creepy-looking arcane symbol at the front. "Am I late?"

Johnny beamed. "Not at all, Mina; you're right on time."

Emma felt like she was going to fall over. '_W-Wha..?_'

Melanie looked just as confused as Emma felt. "Jon-Jon? Who's that?"

Blushing, Johnny scratched his head. "Oh, sorry, Mel; I forgot to tell you," he said. "Mina, this is my baby sister Melanie. Mel, this is Charmina; she's a…friend of mine."

Charmina pouted. "_Only_ a friend?"

Johnny's blush intensified. "A very _special_ friend," he amended.

Charmina smiled, winking at him. "_Much_ better."

Emma felt like something in her chest was about to snap.

Melanie caught on, and started giggling. "_Jon-Jon's got a girlfriend! Jon-Jon's got a girlfriend!_"

Johnny flinched. "Mel..!"

Mina just giggled, as she knelt down to Melanie. "Oh, how adorable _are_ you?" she cooed. "I just _love_ your pigtails; they're so pretty, and so is your swimsuit!"

Melanie beamed. "Thanks!" she chirped. "After I try surfing, you wanna help me and Jon-Jon build sand-castles?"

Charmina smiled back. "That sounds like fun, sweetie!" she answered. Turning to Johnny, she frowned worriedly. "But do you think your brother would mind giving _me_ a few surf-lessons?" she asked. "I think I need a few pointers."

Johnny blushed. "Uh…well…"

"Please, Jon-Jon?" Melanie asked.

The double-plea quickly overwhelmed Johnny's taxed willpower. Smiling warmly, he nodded. "Sure."

Emma was still frozen to the spot when Lo and Fin caught up to her. "Alberta, what are you waiting for?" Fin asked as she walked. "Go set the record straight with _what the hell._"

The sight of Charmina completely derailed Fin's statement just as it had with Emma's. "Who…who…" Emma murmured. "_Who's that?_"

Lo sighed. "That's what I was trying to tell you," she said. "On his little club-hop, last night, Johnny apparently hooked up with _that._"

Fin was still bug-eyed. "Holy crap."

Smiling, Charmina held out her board. "So, where should I start?"

"Well, Mina, the first thing to do – like I told Mel – is learn to pop up," Johnny instructed, before chuckling. "I've already shown Melanie how. Care to demonstrate, Mel?"

"Okay!" Lying back on her board, Melanie demonstrated the technique. "Once a wave starts passing you, you have to pop up by pushing up with your arms, steadying one knee, and then standing up!"

Smiling back, Charmina laid her board flat on the sand, and copied the technique, popping up wobbily. "Like this?"

Melanie beamed. "Yeah!"

Johnny chuckled. "That's the idea, Mina, but you need to center your hips a bit more to help your balance. If you hit a wave with that stance, it'll dunk you _fast._"

Mina chewed the side of her lip. "How should I center myself?" she asked. "Could you show me?"

Johnny flushed. "Well…sure!" he answered, moving closer to her. Gently placing his hands on her hips, he nudged lightly. "Just a little this way…"

Closing her eyes, Mina leaned back into him. "That feels really nice, John."

Emma felt her knees wobble.

Lo fumed. "That…_sneaky_ little _skank!_"

The sound of Lo's voice drew Mina's attention. Glancing towards them, she arched a platinum eyebrow. "John? Are these friends of yours?"

Following her gaze, Johnny sobered. "Yeah, they are," he answered. "Fin, Lo, Emma, this is Charmina; Mina, these are my friends Fin McCloud, Lo Ridgemount, and…Emma Mackenzie."

Fin folded her arms. "Hey," she greeted casually.

Lo's eyes were narrowed, her voice tightly cordial. "Hi."

Emma gulped. "H-Hi."

Mina blinked as her pink gaze fell on Emma. "John, is she..?"

"Yeah."

Mina's expression was pure sympathy. "You poor thing."

Emma was confused. "Huh?"

"Nothing, Emma," Johnny said with a sigh. "Was there anything you guys needed?"

Emma, still reeling, was at a loss, but Fin thankfully covered her. "Nah; we were just gonna grab a sesh while the surf's good."

Lo nodded, her semi-glare still trained on Mina. "Yeah, since the surf's totally overhead – perfect for anyone that's not a _noob._"

Mina frowned at the shot, but Melanie was oblivious. "Can I surf, too?" she pleaded. "Please? Jon-Jon taught me and everything!"

Managing a smile, Emma nodded. "Uh…sure, sweetie."

"As long as you only stick to little waves, for now," Johnny added.

"Yay!" Happily, Melanie grabbed her brother's hand. "C'mon, Jon-Jon; let's go tell Mommy! I want her to see me surf, too!"

Mildly embarrassed, Johnny sent an apologetic smile to Charmina. "I am really sorry about this…"

Giggling, Mina waved him away. "It's fine, John; I don't mind meeting your mother."

Johnny flushed again. "We'll only be a minute, promise."

Mina winked at him. "Hurry back?"

Johnny's smile turned goofy. "Definitely." With that, he let his sister drag him away.

Once Johnny was out of earshot, Lo rounded on the newcomer. "What exactly do you think you're _doing_, missy?"

Her sweet smile gone, Charmina remained tranquil, looking at them as though they were something disgusting stuck to her shoe. "Pardon me?"

"Whatever you're thinking of doing with Johnny, _forget_ it," Fin snapped.

Lo nodded. "He likes _Emma_, so back _off!_"

Her hands on her hips, Charmina chuckled haughtily. "Not from what _I_ saw," she retorted. "Granted, last night he _was_ a bit down about some airhead grom not noticing him…but I think I fixed that."

Emma was so dumbfounded, she completely missed the shot. "Johnny…_likes_ me?"

Mina sighed with exasperation. "_Liked_, sweetie. Past tense. _Do_ try to keep up."

Fin looked murderous. "Just _who_ do you think you are?"

"Someone who's smart enough to _recognize_ a good man when I see one," Mina retorted, her cool gaze falling on Emma, again. "Face it, carrot-top: you _had_ your chance, and you _blew_ it. You only realize _now_ what you passed up?" She smirked. "_Boo-hoo._ Go cry yourself a river, build a bridge, and _get over it._ Unlike you, _I_ know enough to treat him like the man he _is._"

Her shock fading, Emma narrowed her eyes. "Oh, really?"

With a smirk, Mina chuckled. "I honestly feel bad that he had to put up with you as long as he did. Thankfully, he realized that he was wasting his time with the D-List when he _could_ be an A-Lister."

Emma's patience – already frayed by Ty – _snapped._ "_Surf-off, skank!_"

Mina arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" Emma exploded. "The two of us, in the lineup, right now, raddest sesh wins! And _when_ I kick your snotty butt, you _get LOST!_"

Mina remained nonplussed, responding with only a shrug. "Your funeral, carrot-top." With a smirk, she gestured to the surf. "Losers first."

Still fuming, Emma stormed out into the water, paddling into an oncoming wave. Once the wave started to crest, she popped up, sailing along the sapphire swell, to spin into a perfect 360 once she launched above the whitehead. Dropping back, she dipped low, and launched again, this time into a tail-grab. Taking a deep breath, she darted above the whitecap once more, pitching back for a reverse flip…

…and landed perfectly, racing under the crashing wave to arrive at the beach.

Fin cheered. "Emma, you _nailed_ it!"

Beaming at her performance – and at _finally_ landing a flip – Emma smirked back at Mina. "Top _that_, Little Miss Yes-That's-My-Real-Hair-Colour!"

Mina remained tranquil. "Yes, yes, that was a decent warm-up, but what about your…oh, wait, that _was_ your sesh?" Her smile turned cruel. "This will be easier than I _thought._ Observe."

Casually wading into the water, Charmina paddled into the next wave. As it crested, she popped up perfectly…and almost magically whirled into a _720_ spin.

Lo was dumbfounded. "W-What the…where'd she learn to..?"

But Mina wasn't finished. The very moment she'd landed, she raced to the whitecap again, riding it like a rail as she executed _three_ perfect spins, without even leaving the water's surface.

Now Fin was dumbstruck. "Holy…even _I_ can't..!"

Even then, Mina had saved her best for last: leaping above the whitecap one last time, she tipped back, turning herself _upside-down_, before executing not one, two, or even three, but _four_ perfect spins, to finish by flipping right-side up in time to land flawlessly.

Emma dropped her board.

Coasting back to the beach, Charmina strolled towards them, board in hand, her smile triumphant. "Anything you'd care to say, big-mouth?"

Emma's mouth was open, but no sound came out.

"I didn't think so." Charmina then frowned. "Oh, and F.Y.I.? This _is_ my real colour." To emphasize her point, she tipped her head forward to part the hair above the crown of her skull: silver down to the roots.

"_Duuuuuuuude!_"

At Reef's exclamation, Mina was instantly all sweet smiles as Johnny, Reef, Broseph, The Kahuna, Melanie, and an older lady who had to be Johnny's mother walked over. "Betty, those moves were _sick!_" Reef exclaimed.

Mina shrugged. "If you say so."

Melanie was equally amazed. "That was so cool!" she chirped. "Can you teach me to do that?"

Mina giggled. "If your Mommy and big brother don't mind."

Jokingly stern, Johnny folded his arms, trying to keep a smile off his face. "Mina…you didn't _really_ need a surf-lesson, did you?"

The picture of innocence, Mina moved her arms behind her back. "No," she confessed, before inching closer, to whisper in Johnny's ear…though Emma still caught her words.

"_But how else could I have gotten you to put your hands on me with Melanie watching?_"

Johnny looked like steam was about to shoot out his ears. "U-Uh…h-have I introduced my Mom, yet?" he babbled. "Mom, this is Charmina, the girl I told you about; Mina, this is my Mom, Bethany St. James."

Mina giggled. "You talked about me, John?"

Johnny grinned. "Only to sing your praises."

Emma felt the _rest_ of whatever was in her chest snap.

A warm smile across her face, Bethany extended her hand to Mina. "It's lovely to meet you, dear."

Smiling back, Mina shook Bethany's hand. "Likewise, Mrs. St. James."

The second her palm contacted Mina's, Bethany flinched, as a chill ran up her spine, her smile turning forced. The Kahuna was oblivious to her reaction, his attention drawn by Charmina's board. "Awesome decal, betty!" he exclaimed. "Never seen a design like this one, before!"

Mina shrugged. "I designed it myself…though I did have some inspiration." With that, she brushed her hair over her shoulder…revealing a smaller version of the exact same arcane symbol on the nape of her neck.

Broseph's eyes were wide. "Whoa, cool tat, girl…but didn't that _hurt?_"

Mina laughed. "Not a bit," she answered. "It's a _birthmark._"

Lo mimed gagging.

Johnny looked worried. "Well, that's a relief, Mina; a tattoo like that would've _really_ hurt…"

Mina giggled, inching closer to him. "Aww, you're so sweet to worry about me."

Emma's knees started wobbling.

Following Bethany's cue, Kahuna extended his hand. "Bra, anybody who can paint a board like that is cool by me!" Smiling back, Mina shook it…and Kahuna instantly paled. "Uh…y-you know what? I…I think I left a can of board-paint open – better go close it before it dries!"

As The Kahuna ran off, Johnny blinked. "What was that about?"

"Beats me, bro," Reef said.

Charmina glanced back to Emma, Fin, and Lo. "That reminds me: I think you said you needed to be somewhere," she remarked, as her eyebrows dipped low, darkening her smile. "Shouldn't you get going, now?"

Biting her lip, Emma took one step backwards, then another…before breaking into a run, racing back towards the staff-house, hoping no-one noticed her eyes going misty.

By the time Fin and Lo caught up to her, Emma was all-out bawling, sitting alone on the staff-house porch. Stricken, Lo sat down next to her. "Oh, sweetie, don't cry!" she soothed. "It'll be okay…"

""Okay"?" Emma wailed. "Did you _see_ what I'm up against? Not _only_ is that "Charmina" a _way_ better surfer than me, she's completely, utterly, _supermodel_-gorgeous! _How_ am I supposed to compete with that?"

Fin sat down on her other side. "Okay, in case you didn't _hear_, Alberta, she's _also_ a total _witch._ Sooner or later, Johnny'll see that."

"Not likely!" Emma sobbed. "You saw how she acted all sweet around him! She keeps that up, and he'll never see past her!"

Lo looked determined. "Then it's up to _us_ to make sure Johnny sees that little troll for the skank she _is!_"

Fin nodded in agreement. "I'm with you, Lo," she agreed. "Something is _up_ with her! I've been on the competitive surf-circuit since forever, and even _I_ have trouble with some of the tricks she pulled! And I'm supposed to believe some bitchy no-name can outdo me? I don't think so!"

Emma started to smile. "R-Really?" she asked. "Thanks."

"Anytime, homegirl," Fin said. "So, what's our first step?"

"First, we need to find out what she and Johnny are going to do together," Lo said. "And then, we do whatever it _takes_ to make her bitch out in front of Johnny – the second he sees Little Miss Two Face's nasty side, he'll drop her."

"Okay," Emma said, "but how? Johnny's not gonna tell us, and Charmina _definitely_ won't!"

Fin thought about it…and smirked. "No worries, sister: I think I know who the weak link is…"

XXXXXXXX

"Man, I thought that shift would _never_ end!"

Looking just as exhausted as Kevin was, Ben, in his bellhop uniform, sagged against the currently-empty front desk, weary from his latest marathon of running back and forth between hotel suites. "You said it, Kev," he agreed.

In his own uniform, Kevin stood up to stretch. "At least payday's this week."

Ben nodded. "Always a good thing," he agreed. "And now we get to hit the waves."

Kevin smirked. "And see our girlfriends in swimsuits."

Ben grinned goofily at the thought of Lo…until the second half of Kevin's statement hit him. "Dude, that's my _cousin_ you're ogling. Not when I'm in earshot, okay?"

Kevin snorted. "Says the guy attached to Lo Ridgemount's lips every chance he gets."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine; _yes_, Lo and I are affectionate. Sue me…"

"Dudes, you are _not_ gonna believe this!"

Reef's exclamation came just as he, Broseph, Johnny, and The Kahuna walked into the Lobbyquarium. "Front Desk Guy hooked up with a total _uberfox_ at the Quintuple Overhead, last night!" Reef added.

Broseph nodded. "Plus, said betty pulled off some totally _gnarly_ moves on the waves, just now! Even _Fin_ was bug-eyed!"

Johnny chuckled. "Okay, guys. You're all impressed; we can move on, now."

Kevin smirked. "Finally decided to leave the Friend-Zone, huh? About time."

Johnny shrugged. "I'm a new man."

Ben looked grave. "So…you and Emma are still okay, right?"

"Nothing's changed, Ben. I'm pretty sure Emma still thinks of me as "just a friend." The only difference is that I'm not going to bother to expect more of her."

Broseph winced. "Whoa…a little cold, bro."

The Kahuna looked haunted. "Dude, I didn't wanna say this in front of her, but I gotta tell you something about your new flame…"

"Hey, guys!"

Turning, Ben smiled as he saw Lo, Fin, and a slightly-bruised Gwen walk into the lobby, all holding their boards. "Rough sesh?"

Wincing, Gwen shrugged. "At first," she confessed. "But I'm getting there."

Fin nodded. "Fret not, Red: the blood of the Madcap is at work. You'll be shredding in no time."

Turning to Lo, Ben gulped as he noted Lo's sour expression. "Lo? Is everything okay?"

Lo lightly huffed. "_No_, baby, everything's _not_ okay," she said, glaring at Johnny. "I'm still flavoured at _this_ tool for what he pulled!"

Johnny folded his arms. "Let it go, Lo."

Ben was lost. "Come again?"

"I'm assuming you heard about Johnny's little expedition, last night," Fin said dryly. "Which reminds me." Reaching out, she slapped Reef upside the head.

"Ow!" Reef winced as he rubbed his head. "What the hell was that for?"

Fin's expression was furious. "Duh! This whole mess is practically _your_ fault, Chowderhead!" she snapped. "Lo and I were _finally_ making progress getting Emma to like Johnny, and then _you_ drag him to that stupid club and screw it all up!"

Johnny's expression was flat. "Guys."

Reef glared back. "Oh, what? So the bro was just supposed to wait around for her to _happen_ to notice him? I don't think so, betty!"

Johnny's eye started to tick. "_Guys._"

"Oh, like _your_ idea was so much better?" Fin shot back. "Instead of being a bit patient for a _nice_ girl to wise up, you dragged him out to find some nasty little..!"

"_GUYS!_"

Johnny's shout silenced them both, while his annoyed stare made Reef and Fin freeze. "Reef, I am _perfectly_ capable of speaking for _myself_, thank you."

Reef looked embarrassed. "Oh, yeah," he said. "My bad, bro."

Glancing to the Fin and Lo, Johnny continued. "Fin, Lo, I appreciate what you were trying to do, but at this point, I have to accept that Emma and I aren't going to happen," he added. "Trying to force things won't help."

Lo looked stricken. "Johnny, Emma _does_ like you!" she insisted. "She just _finally_ got over Ty..!"

"Lo, it's just too late," Johnny countered. "I'm sorry if that sounds cold, but it's the truth."

Fin frowned. "You mean you're _actually_ going to ignore a _nice_ girl for a…a total _witch?_"

Johnny's eyes narrowed. "That's _not_ necessary, Fin. You don't even _know_ her."

"Neither do _you!_" Lo accused. "The _second_ you left to get your Mom, Mina totally bitched out on us!"

Johnny arched an eyebrow. "Were the three of you acting like you're acting now?"

Fin paused. "Uh…"

Johnny sighed. "Then it sounds like she was provoked," he said. "Yes, I admit, I don't know everything about her, but I think something's there. I'll thank you to respect that."

Lo huffed. "_Ben! Say_ something!"

Ben gulped. "Lo, neither of us have even _seen_ this 'Mina' girl; we can't exactly comment."

Kevin chuckled. "I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that a girl actually went out with Front Desk Goof."

"Funny, Levin," Johnny muttered. "Mina just had to head back to her room for a minute, that's all. I was hoping to have dinner with her, this evening: if you like, I can introduce you."

At the shift in conversation, Lo stamped her foot. "Ben, is it so much to ask for you to _support_ your girlfriend?" she said. "_Ugh!_" With an irately haughty toss of her hair over her shoulder, she stormed off.

Fin didn't look much happier. "Way to drop the ball, States," she muttered, before she followed Lo.

Looking guilty, Johnny scratched his head. "Didn't mean to put you in the doghouse, Ben."

"Pfft! Whatever!" Reef said. "They're just flavoured 'cause Johnny realized he can do better!"

Johnny chuckled. "Right. _I'm_ what got Fin mad."

The sarcasm flew over Reef's head. "Yeah, I know!"

Johnny sighed. "Regardless, I'd better make sure Kelly hasn't got the DR booked up, tonight," he said. "If so, my only recourse is groveling."

Broseph gulped. "Whoa, major harshage imminent, man."

"Tell me about it," Johnny agreed. "Still, Mina's worth a few dings to my pride."

"Maybe, but this is _Kelly_ you're talking about," Ben warned. "You'd be lucky to get away with your _soul._"

Johnny groaned. "Thanks, man."

The Kahuna spoke up again. "My advice, bro? _Ditch_ that betty, and fast!"

Reef went bug-eyed. "Kahuna, have you _lost_ it? Did you _see_ her? Total Ten-_Plus!_"

Kahuna met Johnny's gaze, his face grave. "Yeah, bro, I saw her," he said. "I was gonna give you a high-five…until I shook her hand."

Johnny blinked. "And?"

"You don't get it, man! You know how I picked up Ben's messed-up aura, when I shook his hand?"

Ben smiled nervously. "Yeah, I remember," he said quickly. "That's cleared up, right?"

"Totally, dude…but the point is, that's _nothing_ compared to what hit me when I shook _hers!_" Kahuna exclaimed. "That's one _bad_ betty, bro! My whole _arm_ went numb from her aura – we're talking pitch-_black!_ She's into some _majorly_ bad mojo! Lose her, and _fast!_"

Johnny frowned. "You, _too_, Kahuna?" he asked. "You don't know her any more than Fin and Lo!"

Kevin wasn't as sceptical. "Maybe, man, but he kinda called Ben right."

Kahuna blinked. "Huh?"

"Nothing major, Kahuna," Ben said quickly. "So, what's she up to?"

"Dunno, bro – I couldn't get any specifics off of the _mondo_ bad karma she was giving off," Kahuna answered. "All I could tell is she's up to something gnarly, and _not_ the good kind!"

Johnny frowned. "Aw, come on, Kahuna!" he complained. "Okay, so I don't know everything about Mina! That doesn't automatically mean she's bad!"

"The auras do not lie, bro."

Johnny turned to go. "Well, I'm betting they can get mixed-up!" he retorted. "I gotta go, guys. I'll see you, later…and it _won't_ be to talk about this, again!"

As Johnny walked off, Kevin arched an eyebrow. "So Front Desk Guy hooks up, and gets a spine-transplant in the same day?" he asked. "Something's up."

Ben nodded. "Maybe it _wouldn't_ be a bad idea to look into "Mina's" history."

Kahuna still looked nervous. "Be careful with that one, dude. Betty was kickin' out some gi-normous bad vibes! You _don't_ wanna mess with that kinda bad karma!"

"We'll take our chances, Kahuna," Ben replied. "If something is up with this girl, we can't let her mess Johnny up."

Kevin chuckled. "Plus, you'll need something when you go grovelling to Lo."

Ben sighed. "Only if I'm wrong, Kevin. Only if I'm wrong."

XXXXXXXX

"_No_, baby; you don't have to do that! I'll take care of our dinner reservations!"

Her bikini exchanged for black yoga pants and a magenta halter, Charmcaster walked out of her suite, her phone to her ear and a sweet smile on her face to match her voice. "_It's no trouble, Mina,_" Johnny answered her. "_I've got ten minutes before my shift's over, so I'll just run down to the DR and book us a table…_"

"…and have to deal with that meanie Kelly? I won't hear of it!" Charmcaster insisted. "You work so hard; this is the least I can do!"

"_Really, it's no…_"

Mina quivered her lip. "_Pleeeeeeaaase?_"

Johnny sighed. "_Okay, okay, Mina. Just don't say I didn't warn you about Kelly._"

Charmcaster giggled. "Thank you, baby!" she cooed. "I'll call you as soon as I have a time! Kisses!" With that, she ended the call.

"Lo, I wanted to get dirt on Mina, not mess you and Ben up!"

Darting behind a corner, Charmcaster peered around it in time to see Fin, Emma, and Lo walk down an adjacent corridor, all in uniform…along with another redhead who made her mystic senses tingle. Charmcaster's eyes narrowed balefully as she recognized her.

"Please, Emma. Ben and I aren't "messed up,"" Lo said. "I just had to remind him about the idea of the united front."

Gwen snorted. "Yeah, because you're _always_ right, Ridgemount."

Lo frowned back. "Funny, Gwen."

"Okay, enough already!" Fin shouted. "Can we focus on what's important, here?"

Lo calmed down. "Right. First things first: Emma and I get a shift for Johnny's date, and then we make her bitch out in front of him!"

Charmcaster's eyes narrowed…before she smiled. '_This could work…_'

Gwen sighed. "Just don't do anything _too_ stupid, okay?" she asked. "Anyway, Fin and I had better get going."

Fin nodded. "The couple in Room 1028 just headed out to the beach…_after_ their 3-Bean Burrito breakfasts. We're gonna need gas-masks…_again._"

Emma winced. "_Ew._"

"Yeah. We know," Fin agreed, before smiling. "Good luck, Alberta – _show_ that snotty witch who's boss!"

Charmcaster rolled her eyes. '_Good luck with that, carrot-top._' Darting out of sight, she raced to the elevator, to catch it before Emma and Lo could, and took it to the Lobby. From there, it was a short dash to the DR, where the head-waitress – Kelly – was waiting at the greeter's stand. Flashing her most disarming smile, Charmcaster walked up to the eye-patched girl. "Hi!" she greeted. "My beau and I were hoping to have dinner here, tonight. Could you squeeze us in?"

With a frown, Kelly half-glanced at the reservation list. "Oh, _so_ sorry: we're all booked up."

Charmcaster chewed the side of her lip. "Are you sure? We wouldn't be staying long, and we'd settle for a little table for two."

"Sorry. We're packed."

Noting that Kelly's expression was anything _but_ sorry, Charmcaster frowned, her hands moving to her hips. "Okay, Eye-patch, let's _cut_ the crap," she snapped. "I need a reservation here, tonight."

Kelly frowned back. "Too bad, Prom-Queen. You should've booked earlier."

Charmcaster's eyes narrowed. "You'd better rephrase that, missy, before I get _annoyed._"

"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots!" Kelly retorted. "What're you gonna..?"

"Kelly?" Emma's voice interrupted them as she and Lo walked in. "Think we could get an extra shift for…"

"I _so_ don't have time for you and Princess, Carrot-top!" Kelly shouted. "Get to _work!_"

As Emma and Lo hurried inside, Charmcaster watched the exchange warily…before a sly smile crossed her face. "You know, I think we've _both_ been going about this the wrong way!" she exclaimed. "Fact Number One: you don't like your co-workers."

"Fact Number Two: _nobody_ likes them."

Charmcaster giggled. "In that case, Kelly, consider me your new best friend!" she said. "Fact Number Three: despite Fact Number One, you haven't been able to fire them, which means they've got friends higher up…such as a certain front-desk-manning junior manager?"

Kelly looked sour. "Your point?"

Charmcaster smirked. "Just this." Her expression changed to one of tearful dismay. "Oh, John, I just had the _worst_ evening! I was trying to book a reservation for us, but your friends in the DR were just so _horrible_ to me!"

Kelly's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "You have my _undivided_ attention."

"I thought you'd take notice," Charmcaster remarked, shedding her distressed tone. "It's simple: give John and I a reservation, and when your two little pests give me crappy service, I'll cry to my beau, you back me up, and _poof!_ Both our problems are solved!"

Now Kelly was smirking. "Talk lover-boy into giving me a 20 percent raise, and you've got a deal."

Charmcaster frowned. "_Ten_ percent raise, and you give us a complimentary bowl of garlic bread."

Kelly didn't give up. "_Seventeen_ percent, and you get a free small basket of breadsticks."

Charmcaster sighed. "_Thirteen_ percent, and we get a free basket of blueberry muffins, half of which we'll leave for you."

Kelly smiled. "You're _good!_" As Charmcaster shrugged with a brief _hm,_ Kelly pored over the bookings. "Well, what do you know! There _is_ a spot! It opens in fifteen!" she exclaimed. "I overbooked, so I guess Mr. and Mrs. Marvin will have to let their _darling_ boys go explode hot-dogs somewhere else!"

Charmcaster smiled. "I thought you might see it my way." She craned her neck towards Emma and Lo. "One more thing: I'm pretty sure those two mean to try and mess up my date," she said, "so be sure and give them my table tonight so Johnny can see them do it, will you?"

Kelly laughed. "_Damn_, girl! Did I say you were good?" she exclaimed. "You're a freakin' _Picasso!_"

Charmcaster's smile became sly. "And _don't_ forget it, girlfriend," she finished. "See you!" With that, she walked off.

Rounding a corner, Charmcaster frowned thoughtfully. '_That takes care of those two, but Gwen and her dumb cousin are still a problem. I'll need to get them out of the way for a few hours._' Once she was certain the coast was clear, she closed her eyes, focusing her mana, bending it to her will…before she sent it out into the world.

Had she begun her spell just a few moments later, she might have seen a pair of brown pigtails peeking out from behind a potted plant, along with a pair of frightened brown eyes gazing at her through the leaves.

XXXXXXXX

From behind one of the many potted plants in the Lobbyquarium, Ben and Kevin both peered out through the foliage, making sure the coast was clear. "Looks like Johnny took off early," Ben observed.

Kevin nodded. "It's now or never, Tennyson."

Ben didn't argue, as they quickly darted to Johnny's empty front desk. Taking a crouching position behind the desk, keeping an eye out for approaching guests – or worse, Bummer on his rare break – Ben glanced up briefly. "Any luck?"

As he rapidly typed away at Johnny's computer, Kevin grinned. "Piece of cake, man. Hotel security programs are _nothing_ compared to the firewalls I've practiced hacking back when I used to…well, back in the day."

Ben frowned. "Should Gwen know you can hack stuff?"

"Should Princess see any of your "Who's Your Hero" moments from when you were ten?" Kevin's smirk was practically audible. "Back when I "borrowed" the Rustbucket, I downloaded a couple of Max's vacation videos, just in case I needed blackmail material."

Ben paled. "Never mind," he said. "Any detail on this "Charmina"?"

Kevin looked thoughtful. "Hang on…okay, here we go," he reported. "This is weird: all that's on file is her name. No credit-card, no forwarding address, no contact info…hell, not even a last name. You'd think a stickler for the rules like Front Desk would get that."

Ben stood up to take a look. "Definitely weird," he agreed. "Did he at least put in a photo?"

"Think so," Kevin answered, as he clicked on a JPEG file…and did a double-take. "_Damn._ Not bad, St. James."

Glancing at the platinum-haired girl, Ben frowned thoughtfully. "Hey…she kinda looks familiar…"

"_AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!_"

At that multitude of screams, Ben and Kevin stood up in time to see numerous hotel patrons run into the hotel, the Marvin family among them. "Mrs. M., what's wrong?" Ben asked, moving to intercept them.

The Marvin matriarch almost bowled him over, her husband close behind with their kids in tow. "_M-Monsters! On the beach!_"

The Marvin boys were less alarmed. "_Mooooom!_" Mark whined. "We wanna go see!"

As the Marvins made tracks, Ben and Kevin were racing out the door, with Ben fishing out his badge. "Gwen, we've got trouble!" he exclaimed. "We've got a monster-sighting at the beach..!"

"_Yeah, and at downtown Sunset Beach!_" Gwen replied. "_I just heard it on the news, Ben! Our rocky friends are tearing up the streets!_"

Ben grimaced. "We're gonna have to split up!" he instructed. "I'll deal with them here; you and Kevin get downtown and handle them there!"

Gwen sighed. "_So much for saving my break for when I needed it…okay, Ben. Kevin, I'll meet you at your car!_"

"Cool by me," Kevin answered, as Ben flipped his badge shut. "You've got this?"

"Sure, Kevin; I'll be fine." With a nod, Kevin turned and headed to meet Gwen at the car, while Ben darted into the brush. Racing through the foliage, he was mere meters away from the beach – judging by the screams – which prompted him to pop up the Omnitrix's dial, selecting XLR8…

…only for it to shift seconds before his hand slammed it down, causing the emerald glow to leave a different form in its wake. "_RATH!_" the new Ben declared…before he scowled. "_AW, DAMN IT!_" His selection made for him, all he could do was keep going.

Emerging from the brush, Rath stormed onto the beach, right into the middle of a crowd of fleeing patrons, dashing away from a quartet of rocky golems, infused with the same mauve energy as the kind he'd fought at the museum. As one golem grabbed the nearby lifeguard tower – where a panicked Ripper was hanging on for dear life – Rath saw red. "_LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, ROCK-HEAD! NOBODY GOES AFTER BEACH-GOERS ON RATH'S WATCH!_" Crouching low, Rath pounced at the golem, knocking him to the ground with a tackle. The golem tried to get to its feet, but Rath popped out his wrist-claws, slicing its head off and turning it to dust.

As Rath got to his feet, Ripper inched down from his perch, cautiously approaching Rath. "Uh…t-thanks, mate."

Rath shrugged. "_KAY._" He glanced towards two of the remaining golems, who were heading towards him. "_YOU'D BETTER GO._"

Ripper gulped. "R-Right!" With that, he ran off.

With Ripper clear, Rath turned to the two charging golems, in time to duck under one's roundhouse kick, and counter with a clawed uppercut that smashed its rocky head to pieces. As he turned to the second, he was knocked clear off his feet by the boulder that the golem threw at him…which only made him madder. "_LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, PEBBLE-BRAIN! NOBODY SUCKER-PUNCHES RATH AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!_"

The golem never stood a chance. Racing at it, Rath leaped early, to land and roll forward into a handspring double-heel kick, his clawed feet tearing the rock-monster in half. With the golem now nothing but sand, Rath looked around for the last one…and spotted it cornering a little African-Canadian kid, in a pink swimsuit, her hair in pigtails, screaming her head off.

Rath's facial fur went from orange to blood-red. "_HURTING. LITTLE KIDS. IS. NOT. __**COOL!**_"

The golem barely had a chance to turn before Rath barrelled into it, grabbing and lifting it above his head, to slam it down onto his knee, turning it to dust. His foes destroyed, Rath let out a roar of triumph…before remembering he had an audience. As he looked down at the kid, Rath gulped. "_UH…YOU OKAY?_"

Rath was expecting the kid to freak out screaming…so her giddy smile took him off-guard. "_Tigger!_"

As the kid hugged his leg, Rath was dumbstruck. "_HUH?_"

The little girl was on autopilot. "I'm so happy to see you! I thought I'd left you back at my house with Winnie, Eeyore, Rabbit, and Piglet!" she chirped. "Are they here, too?"

Rath frowned glumly – she thought he was her toy come to life. "_NO,_" he said. "_JUST ME._"

"Oh." The kid looked him over. "Wow, Tigger, you got _big!_"

"_UH…YEAH,_" Rath said. "_BEEN WORKIN' OUT._"

The little girl beamed. "Are you gonna bounce?"

Rath scowled. "_NO!_"

The kid started sniffling. "But…b-but why not?"

Rath immediately felt guilty. "_UH…UH…_" he stammered, thinking fast, "_…'CAUSE I HAVEN'T WORKED OUT MY TAIL, YET!_" He turned around, and pointed to his stubby tail. "_SEE?_"

Thankfully, that was enough to calm the girl. "Okay," she relented glumly. "But you will after you do, right? Promise?"

Rath sighed. "_SURE._"

"Melanie? Melanie, where are you?"

The little girl perked up. "That's Mommy!" she exclaimed. "I gotta tell her that Jon-Jon's girlfriend's really a mean old _witch!_"

Rath blinked. '_"Jon-Jon"?_' This had to be Johnny's little sister. He was about to ask what she meant…when the control-dial on his chest started flaring. "_UH…GOTTA GO, LITTLE LADY!_" he said. "_JUST REMEMBERED I'D SCHEDULED A WORKOUT!_" With that, he dashed into the woods before the little girl – Melanie – could protest…and just before the Omnitrix timed out.

Back to normal, Ben waited a few seconds before he walked further into the woods, and then stepped onto the beach, doubling back to find Melanie and her Mom. "It's true, Mommy!" Melanie exclaimed. "Tigger was right here, and he was all big and muscly from working out! He had to go work on his tail, 'cause he couldn't bounce right since he was so big!"

Mrs. St. James sighed with a smile. "Honestly, Melanie, you and your imagination…"

Melanie pouted. "It's _true!_" she asserted, before she looked scared. "B-But we gotta find Jon-Jon, Mommy! Mina's _not_ a princess! She's a mean old _witch_ in disguise!"

"_Melanie!_" her mother scolded. "That's not nice!"

"But it's true, Mommy! Just now, I saw her talking with another mean girl to get Jon-Jon's friends in trouble! And _then_ she did a magic spell – I think it made the rock-monsters that Tigger fought! I ran down here to find Jon-Jon or his friends, and then they came after everybody..!"

"That's quite enough, young lady! You're letting your imagination run away with you!"

Clearing his throat, Ben walked over. "Ma'am? Everything okay?"

Looking up, Mrs. St. James sighed. "Yes, we're fine," she answered. "My youngest is just imagining things."

"I'm _not_ imagining, Mommy! I _saw_ it!"

Ben scratched his head. "Well, ma'am, there _have_ been some unusual things going on here, lately," he admitted. "I was just talking to my pal Johnny about it."

Melanie perked up. "You know Jon-Jon?" She raced over to him. "Y-You gotta warn him! I think Mina's gonna do something bad!"

"_Melanie!_" Quickly, Mrs. St. James reigned her daughter in. "I'm so sorry; she's not usually like this," she said. "Like me, she's probably worried about her brother dating some silver-haired charmer."

Her words gave Ben's memory the boot it needed. His eyes went wide. "Actually, Mrs. St. James, I think your daughter might be onto something!" he exclaimed. "If you could, I'd like you to try and call Johnny, and tell him to call Ben; he'll know what to do! I'm gonna try and track him down!"

With that, Ben was off and running, heading back to the hotel – specifically, the DR – hoping he wasn't too late…

XXXXXXXX

_A few minutes earlier_

"I'm still not sure about this, Lo."

As they waited for Johnny and Charmina from the kitchen, Lo calmly shrugged. "You need to relax, Emma," she assured her friend. "Trust me: I _know_ uberbitches like her. One bit of bad service, and out comes Madam Medusa, right in time to tape it!"

Emma still looked stricken. "But what if Kelly catches us?" she asked. "She'll make our lives hell!"

Lo snorted. "And we would notice _how?_" Her eyes went wide. "Here they come!"

Peeking out the window, Emma felt her heart compress again as she took in the sight of a formal/casually-dressed Johnny: black slacks, a white shirt, and a black jacket. Her anguish quickly turned green-eyed as she saw the slinky, mid-thigh-length, strapless mauve cocktail dress Mina had poured herself into, her shimmery silver tresses woven into a long, elegant braid over her left ear. '_It is just not FAIR for anyone to look like that!_'

Guiding his date to her seat, Johnny smiled as he sat down across from her. "I still don't know how you did it," he said. "I've worked with Kelly for months, and if I'd asked for a late reservation, I'd have been tarred and feathered!"

Charmina shrugged prettily. "What can I say? I just have an effect on people," she answered, as she reached to trace a circle on Johnny's hand with her fingertip. "You know, like you have on _me._"

As Emma flinched, Lo rolled her eyes. "Brother, talk about spreading it with a _tractor._"

Miraculously, Johnny kept cool. "And you're okay with eating this early?"

"Perfectly!" Mina leaned in closer, her nose inches from his. "It gives us more time _after._"

Thankfully, Kelly showed up before Emma and Lo could start gagging…but the smile on her face almost made them heave, anyway. "Hi, you two!" she chimed. "Can I get you anything?"

Wide-eyed, Johnny was almost too freaked to answer. "Uh…could we start with some garlic bread?"

Mina pouted. "Actually, John, I'm kinda in the mood for some blueberry muffins."

"Oh. Sure," Johnny amended. "Muffins it is, then."

"Super!" Kelly said. "And for your main course?"

Charmina beamed, as she laced her hand with Johnny's. "What would you recommend for a romantic dinner?"

Kelly's smile turned knowing. "Personally, I'd recommend the lobster and steak, with Le Chef's secret sauce – nothing finer!" she said. "And this is your first dinner, together?"

Looking to Mina, Johnny smiled. "The first of _many._"

Emma suppressed a sniffle.

Kelly clasped her hands. "In that case, you two should be at one of our window-seats!" she exclaimed, ushering them into a larger booth by a window. "Much more romatic, wouldn't you say?"

Glancing out at the view, Mina nodded. "Definitely! Thank you so much!"

Kelly waved her off. "Oh, it's no trouble! You two are so cute together!" she answered. "I'll be right back with your orders!"

As Kelly walked off, a pale Johnny looked at Mina with mild terror. "Okay, now I'm _scared!_" he exclaimed. "The _only_ time Kelly is _that_ happy is when she's up to something!"

Mina waved him off with a giggle. "Oh, you're exaggerating, John!" she said. "I had a lovely talk with her, earlier – I think we hit it off."

Johnny blinked. "You had a lovely talk," he repeated. "With _Kelly._" He gulped. "Mina…did she ask you to sign any paperwork? Any contracts? Written in blood?"

Mina laughed, as she swatted him playfully. "Shame on you, John! You're terrible!" she teased. "She's nowhere near as bad as you think!"

Johnny was sceptical. "_Riiiiiiiiight._"

As Kelly walked over to them, Emma quickly tore her eyes away from Johnny and Mina, looking casual. "Consider this your lucky day, you two," Kelly said, sounding more like her usual self. "I put Johnny and his girl in your zone – provided you don't screw up, you may get a good tip. Don't ever say I'm not a great boss."

Lo rolled her eyes. "Perish the thought." Once Kelly was out of earshot, she added, "Okay, Emma, you remember the drill? What do we do the second Johnny steps away?"

Emma looked guilty. "Bug-flavored water."

Lo nodded. "Then what?"

"Juggling entrees."

"Right!" Lo said. "And our big finish?"

Emma sighed. "Marvin-style spaghetti and meatballs."

"Exactly!" Lo declared. "If _that_ doesn't make her throw a fit, _nothing_ will!" Smirking, she fished out her phone. "And I'll have it all on video for Johnny to see."

Emma chewed her lip nervously. "Lo, I really don't think this is a good idea – it seems really mean..!"

"Do you _want_ her to go bitchy on Johnny _after_ she sticks her claws in?" Lo asked. "Because she will, Emma. Trust me on that one. The sooner we show Johnny what she's really like, the better!" Looking over Emma's shoulder, she smiled as she saw Johnny stand up, heading to the washroom. "Go-time, girl!" With that, she darted towards the appetizer cart, while Emma moved to the water-tray.

With Johnny gone, Mina casually opened her purse to check her PDA, before she snapped it shut as Emma walked over. "Oh, it's you."

Emma forced a smile. "Care for a glass of water?"

Mina shrugged as she took the lone glass. "I suppose so." She inched the glass up to her lips…and stopped with a disgusted frown. "There's a _bug_ in this!"

Feigning surprise, Emma gasped at the sight of the big beetle floating in the water. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I'll get you a new one, right away!"

Mina was glaring at her. "See that you _do._"

As Emma took the water away, Lo smirked as she saw Mina's temper start to peer out. Wheeling the appetizer cart over, she placed a dish on the table. "Here you go!" she chirped. "One garlic bread, just like you ordered!"

Mina's eyebrow ticked. "I ordered blueberry muffins."

Lo played dumb. "You did?"

A puff of air escaped from Mina's nose. "Yes. I did," she hissed. "Anyone with half a brain would have known..!"

"Everything alright?"

As Johnny walked back into view, Mina quickly hid her ire behind a coy smile. "No, baby, everything's fine!" she chimed. "Just a little mix-up with our appetizers."

All smiles, Lo nodded. "Sorry about that, Johnny. I could have sworn you asked for garlic bread."

One eyebrow raised, Johnny nodded. "Okay, then. No harm done."

Sniffing, Mina let out a little sneeze. "Actually, John, could you get me a tissue?" she asked. "The garlic bread is making me a bit stuffy."

"Of course, sweetheart."

As Johnny headed back to the bathroom, Lo hurried to Emma's side. "This is our best chance, Emma! She's already flavoured! I didn't even have to do multiple mix-ups!"

Glancing at the small plate of spaghetti and meatballs – with the hidden packets of pressurized vinegar and baking-soda that the Marvin twins used to explode hot dogs – Emma still looked unsure. "There's no other way?"

"Not if we want to get her on video while Johnny's gone, Emma!"

Emma drooped in resignation. "Okay." With that, she took the plate and walked out.

As Emma walked over, Mina's eyes narrowed once she saw the platter. "I don't recall ordering any pasta."

"I know," Emma said. "I just felt really bad about the bug-glass incident, so I talked the chef into an extra appetizer, on the house!"

Mina calmed down. "Oh. Well…good. Thank you."

Her dish delivered, Emma headed back to the kitchen, to fetch the cart of desserts she had to deliver. She was just about to head out when she saw Lo at the door, phone in hand. "Has she chowed down, yet?"

Lo shook her head. "She just started," she answered. "The second she hits that packet, _splat!_" She chuckled. "And you'll have a front-row seat to uberbitch freak-out!"

Emma didn't feel quite so proud. "Yeah," she agreed glumly. "I'd better go." With that, she wheeled the cart out of the kitchen.

After handing out most of the desserts – with only a banana cream pie left – Emma happened to glance towards Mina's table…and froze.

Calmly sitting in her seat, Mina was just munching on her third forkful of pasta, utterly untouched.

Evidently, she wasn't the only one who'd realized their plan had failed; Lo promptly hurried out of the kitchen, faking a smile as she joined Emma by Mina's table. "Is…everything okay?"

Putting her cutlery down, Mina smiled confidently. "Just fine," she remarked, leaning back. "I have only one concern."

She reached under her napkin, and pulled out the vinegar-soda packet. "Did you actually think I'd fall for such a childish prank?"

Emma and Lo both wore expressions of horror, with the same thought. '_Busted._'

Mina just smirked. "You know, I actually thought even you two were above things like this," she sneered, "but you've managed to fall short of even my _lowest_ expectations. Bravo."

Emma's eyes narrowed, as she clenched her fists.

Mina kept going. "Poor John; I feel so bad for him," she said. "He actually had to scrape the bottom of the barrel around here. It's worthy of a Greek tragedy."

Emma felt her blood start to boil.

Mina didn't let up. "To think, a quality man like him was hung up on some kookish, incompetent Plain Jane…"

Looking back, Emma would never have been able to tell exactly when she'd done it. All she knew was that the pie was already in her hand when she pulled back to throw. "_Shut UP, you scummy little TROLL!_"

Emma's aim was perfect, as the pie hit Charmina dead in the face, splatting banana cream filling all over her head, reaching down to her neck and around the back of her head, getting tangled in her hair. Her mocking tirade silenced, Mina wiped the pie from her bewildered eyes, suppressing a sniffle…before she started to cry.

Despite her guilt, Emma couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at shutting Mina up…but it was short-lived. "_What the __**HELL?**_"

Frozen to the spot, Emma turned, and found an utterly _furious_ Johnny standing there. "J-Johnny?" she stammered. "This…this isn't what it looks…"

"I _saw_ you throw that pie, Emma!" Johnny exploded. "It's _exactly_ what it looked like!"

Her earlier malice masked, Mina was all teary whimpers. "I-I don't understand! W-Why would…what did I _do..?_"

Lo glared at her. "Oh, like you _weren't_ talking trash about..!"

"_Both of you, SHUT UP!_" Johnny roared. "I don't want to hear a word from _either_ of you!" He glared at Lo. "I should've _known_ you wouldn't let this fixation of yours go, Ridgemount…but _you_, Emma," he promptly shifted his gaze, "I actually expected _better_ from you. _You_ I thought _knew_ better."

Those words cut Emma _far_ worse than anything she'd seen Johnny and Mina do.

As Mina sniffled, Johnny moved to her side, enfolding her in a protective embrace. "I'm so sorry, baby," he soothed. "It's all okay, now."

"Okay, lovebirds, I've got your basket of – _oh my God!_" Kelly's greeting turned to a cry of dismay as she rushed over. "What _happened?_"

Johnny fixed another glare at the two waitresses. "Emma and Lo happened, that's what."

Stricken, Kelly moved to Mina's side, using her apron to dab away some of the pie. "Oh, honey, are you okay?"

Mina sniffled. "I…I think so."

Kelly's smile turned to a glower as she looked at Emma and Lo. "You know, I _thought_ you two couldn't go any lower," she snapped, "but every time I do, you two take it as a personal challenge!"

As Mina cuddled closer to Johnny, Emma _swore_ she could see his eyes flare pink. "Kelly…are you saying this is a regular occurrence for them?"

"The pie-tossing? No, that's a new low," Kelly said, "but let's just say it's not out of character for them."

Emma went pale. "Johnny, wait a minute..!"

Johnny silenced her with a raised hand. "Kelly, I owe you an apology. I always assumed that all your complaints were unfounded – that I could trust these two more than you," he said. "Clearly, that was a mistake, but fortunately, it's not one I have to live with." He turned back to Lo and Emma. "Emma. Lo. Out. Now."

Emma blinked. "W-What?"

"Do I have to spell it out?" Johnny snapped. "Get _off_ this floor, get to your lockers and _clean them out._ You two are _done_ here."

Lo was incredulous. "You're…you're _firing_ us?"

"If this is how you treat guests, Ridgemount, then you have _no_ business being at this hotel," Johnny shot back. "Kelly, Mr. Baumer will have my recommendation by the morning. Right now, I need to get Mina cleaned up." Gently, he led Charmina out of the DR. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get out of here." With a tearful nod, Mina let Johnny lead her away…but as she passed by, she fixed Emma with a cruelly triumphant smile.

Emma was dumbstruck. '_She…she played US!_'

Her thoughts were dispelled by Kelly shoving them out of the DR. "I'd say it was nice working with you two, but we both know that'd be a lie!" she cackled. "So long, good-bye, don't come back, whatever! _Out!_"

Just like that, Emma and Lo were left outside the DR. "Wha…_what just happened?_" Lo cried. "When Daddy hears about this, I'm _dead…_or worse, _disinherited..!_"

"She played us, Lo."

Emma's flat statement startled Lo out of her dismay. "What?"

"Charmina. She played us!" Emma muttered. "She must've caught on to what we were up to, and set _us_ up! I bet Kelly was in on it, too!"

Lo gasped. "I _knew_ something was up with her being nice! _Urrggh!_" she shouted. "Okay, okay, calm down; we just need to figure out what to do…"

""Do"?" Emma repeated. "Lo, there's nothing we _can_ do! You heard Johnny!" She sniffled. "He…he _hates_ us, now!" Her eyes stung. "Especially _me!_"

Lo looked sad. "Emma…"

"It's my own fault!" Emma wailed. "Mina was right! I didn't see what was right in front of me, and now it's gone, and I don't even have a job anymore, which means…_oh God, I can't surf The Office, anymore!_"

As Emma broke down, Lo moved to hug her. "Oh, Emma, don't cry!" she soothed. "Look, I'll just say it was my fault, okay? _I_ dragged you into this stupid scheme!"

"I still went along with it!" Emma cried. "I just have to face it, Lo! Mina won, and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"_Johnny!_ Johnny, we've got a big problem!"

Ben's shout reached their ears just before Ben himself raced up to them, gasping for breath. "Lo, where's Johnny?" Ben asked. "Wait…shouldn't you two be in the DR?"

Emma burst into sobs. "Not anymore!" she bawled. "Mina got us fired!"

Ben's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, sounds like something she'd do."

Lo frowned. "Oh, _now_ you agree with me?"

"Lo, there's no time to argue about this – I just found out who Johnny's new flame _really_ is!" Ben declared, as he fished out his Plumber's badge, which projected a holo-image of a pre-teen girl, with silver hair, in a long, mauve overcoat. "She look familiar?"

Emma studied the image, and shook her head. "Not really…although there is something about her…"

"Just let me age her image forward a few years," Ben said, as the image matured. "How about now?"

Lo gasped. "Oh my God…that's _her!_"

Ben nodded. "Say hello to Charmcaster, another one of the baddies from my early years," he muttered. "She's a nasty little spell-slinger, who used to work with her uncle Hex. It looks like she just went solo."

"Wait…back in the DR, it looked like Johnny's eyes were glowing!" Emma cried. "_She_ was doing it! That little cow was using magic to mess with Johnny!"

"Bingo," Ben said. "That's why we need to warn him! Is he still here?"

Lo shook her head. "They left just a few minutes ago."

"Then we need to find them, and _fast!_" Ben declared. "Gwen and Kevin should be on their way back; I'll radio them and let them know Charmcaster's on the prowl! You two get the others and start searching!"

Lo brightened. "So…if the spell wears off, we may not be fired?"

"Priorities, Lo," Ben said. "First we save our friend, _then_ we worry about your career." Lo didn't argue, as the three of them split up and hurried off, hoping it wasn't too late…

XXXXXXXX

_Museum of Natural History_

"Mina, again, I am _so_ sorry about tonight."

As he and his date – who had, almost magically, recovered from her pie-facial after only a few minutes in the hotel restroom – walked into the Museum, Johnny was still aghast by his friends' actions. "I had no idea that Lo and Emma – but probably Lo most of all – would do that…but I _should've…_"

Mina's hand on his arm was soothing. "It's okay, John. I don't blame you for what your friends did."

Deep in thought, Johnny let Charmina lead him deeper into the Museum. "Was I too hard on them, though?" he wondered aloud. "I mean, I was actually taking _Kelly's_ word…"

"_Ssshhh;_ no more work-talk!" Mina chided. "We're here to have a nice time together, and that's exactly what we're going to do!"

Smiling, Johnny couldn't argue with her. "You're a museum buff, huh?" he asked. "Never would have guessed."

Playfully, Mina stuck out her tongue at him. "Meanie!" she teased. "I only like _certain_ exhibits!"

Looking around, Johnny found that she'd led him to the Antiquities exhibit – specifically, to a cylindrical case guarded by security beams, with a beautiful aquamarine-and-sapphire necklace inside. He couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Jewelry. Of course."

"Shut _up!_" Mina laughed. "For your information, there happens to be a _legend_ behind this piece, mister!"

Johnny arched an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

Mina's smile faded, as she gazed longingly at the necklace, lost in her own tale. "This is the Amulet of Evermore," she whispered. "Legend has it that, hundreds of years ago, shamans native to this part of Canada found a brilliant blue gemstone, as if it had fallen from the sky. When they touched it, they discovered that it enhanced their shamanic abilities – as though the stone drew power from…somewhere else."

Johnny's eyes started to widen. "Wow, Mina…you really do get into these legends…"

Mina wasn't done. "That was all that the shamans knew of it…but there was more," she whispered. "What the shamans didn't know was that the stone – the sapphire – was part of a larger artefact: the Imperial Scepter, wielded by the rulers of a dimension called Legerdomain. It was both a symbol of royal succession and a channel for the current ruler to wield the entire power of Legerdomain…but after a coup against the Royal Family, the Scepter was shattered and lost. As for the Royal Family, they were scattered to the winds, while Legerdomain was engulfed in a bloody power-struggle."

Johnny stepped back. "How do you know all this, Mina?" he demanded. "How _can_ you know?"

Mina gave him a sad little smile. "John, take a close look at the stone." Curious, Johnny inched closer to the case, peering at the gem.

It was very faint, but there, woven into the sapphire's facets, was an intricate arcane symbol. "Is…is that..?"

Mina nodded, as she turned around, brushing her hair aside to reveal the same symbol on her neck. "The Royal Crest of Legerdomain," she murmured. "Every member of the Royal Family is born with it." She looked him in the eyes. "I am the exiled Crown Princess of Legerdomain, Jonathan – the last surviving member of the bloodline…and in order to reclaim my throne, I need that stone."

Johnny staggered back, feeling as if he'd been hit by a cannonball. "Mina…"

Charmina was nearly in tears. "I-I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before, John," she sniffled. "I didn't think you'd believe me!"

Johnny's hands moved to his head. "Was…was _anything_ you told me true?"

"_Yes!_" Mina cried. "I just…didn't tell you _all_ the story." She lowered her head. "I said I'd gotten out of a bad relationship…but I never said it was with a boyfriend."

Johnny paused. "Who, then?"

Mina cringed, hugging herself. "My uncle," she sniffled. "My father once tried to unite the factions of Legerdomain to challenge the ruling Regent, and…and that bastard _assassinated him!_"

Johnny felt his heart rend in two at her anguished cry. "Mina..!"

"M-My mother, she…she sent me to her brother, Hex, when I was a little girl, to help me develop my magic," Mina whimpered, tears leaking from her eyes. "I was so excited at first…until I realized what a bastard he was!" She hiccupped. "Whenever I questioned him, or mixed things up, or was just nearby when _he_ screwed up – which was _often_ – he…he just hit me!" She sniffled again. "Before long, it got to be a habit…so when I was old enough…I ran away..!"

Instantly, Johnny enfolded her in a hug, letting her cry. "Oh, God, Mina…I am _so_ sorry," he said gently. "I shouldn't have doubted you, but it was just…a _lot_ to take in!"

Mina nuzzled closer to him. "I know, John," she said. "It's just…I knew I could trust you." She looked up at him, her pink eyes – her shining pink eyes, so bright they seemed to glow – meeting his. "You're the only one I can turn to, John." She nuzzled close again. "Please…help me."

Johnny felt his resolve waver. "Mina…you're talking about _stealing_ that necklace."

"No, John. I'm talking about _reclaiming_ what belonged to my family, so that I can reclaim my father's throne and end the conflict in Legerdomain!" Charmina insisted. "With the restored Scepter, I can defeat the Regent and end my people's suffering!" She looked nervous. "And…and I know it won't be too long before he figures out I'm alive; if he sends his assassins and I'm defenceless..!"

Between the sheer _power_ of her plea, her logic, and her plight, Johnny knew he was beaten. "What can I do?"

He was rewarded by her radiant smile. "You know how security systems work, right?"

Johnny thought for a minute. "Just how to turn parts of 'em on and off."

"Good, because in one minute, I'm going to trigger the fire-alarm," Mina said, her smile now sly…which was just as alluring as her happy smile. "Once the guards come running, you'll need to switch off the alarms in the Antiquities exhibit. I'll handle the rest."

Johnny was still concerned. "And _all_ you're taking is the Amulet, right?" he double-checked. "And nobody will get hurt?"

"Of course, John; all I want is what belonged to my family. That's it."

Johnny took a deep breath, and nodded. "Okay."

Beaming, Mina hugged him. "Oh, _thank_ you, John!" she all but squealed. "Okay, I'm going to trigger the alarm, so be ready!"

Before his eyes, Johnny saw Mina's hands glow mauve – eerily akin to Gwen's powers – as she formed a bolt that flew into the fire-alarm, smashing it and triggering the alarm klaxon…which was when it hit him. "Wait, Mina, how am I supposed to know where the security-center _is_ – _AUUGGHH!_"

His scream came as Mina's _second_ spell-blast hit him, which enshrouded him in pink light…and deposited him directly inside another room, in front of a surveillance console, with two guards already out the door, heading for the alarm. "Oh. That's how." Looking over the console, Johnny spotted a video-feed of the exhibit, with Mina talking to the guards, looking distraught as she pointed to the fried alarm – she was buying him time. "Okay, St. James; this is just the basic rig that the hotel uses. Nothing major…just a couple extra bells and whistles. Simple." Flexing his fists, he pored over the control-sections, stopping as he found the one for Antiquities. "Okay…cameras, fire-alarms, carbon dioxide sensors…and security beams! We're in business!" By then, the guards had started to leave the exhibit, leaving Mina alone. Quickly, Johnny switched off the security beams and the cameras; the last image from the video was Mina racing to the display before it went dark. His task complete, Johnny smiled, happy that his girl had her family's heirloom back…until another thought hit him. "Wait…those guards are coming back _here!_"

As if on cue, Johnny heard foosteps fast approaching. "Okay, okay, just play dumb," Johnny told himself. "I just got lost looking for a bathroom, and I stopped in here to ask – _AACCK!_"

Once again, he was engulfed in mauve, right before he landed flat on his butt, outside the Museum, next to an ecstatic Mina. "Christ, woman, _warn_ a guy before you do that, next time!" he groused, getting up and rubbing his bruised butt.

Sheepish, Mina shrugged. "Sorry!" she chirped, before she hugged him again. "John, you were _wonderful!_" Overjoyed, she held out the Amulet. "It worked!"

Despite his success, Johnny didn't feel like celebrating. "Consider that the _last_ time I participate in grand larceny, okay?"

"Of course!" With another gesture, Mina conjured a staff, made seemingly of silvery oak: the rest of the Scepter, Johnny supposed. "It took me _years_ to track down the rest of the Scepter, but now I have it!" Removing the sapphire from the Amulet, Mina placed it in the gnarled claw-end of the Scepter, completing it, which caused the gem to emit an eerie glow. "Thank you, John! Thank you so much!"

Though he couldn't help but smile at her joy, Johnny still felt a bitter edge to the sweet moment. "So…I guess this means you'll be heading back home, huh?"

Inching closer, Mina laced her hand with his. "Yes, _we_ will," she corrected, before her expression turned dark, "after one last thing: before I reclaim my throne, I need to deal with one more threat."

Johnny blinked. "What?"

Mina shook her head. "Not what, John. _Who,_" she said. "Gwen Tennyson."

Johnny did a double-take. "_WHAT?_ Did…did I just _hear_ you right? You're going after Gwen?" he exclaimed. "Mina, that's _nuts!_ Gwen's my _friend_, and so are her cousin Ben and her boyfriend Kevin! Y-You can't just..!"

"I don't _want_ to, John!" Mina said. "But when I was younger, Gwen and Ben were _always_ coming after my uncle and I! Why do you think I haven't been around to meet them?"

Johnny paused. "They…they wouldn't…"

"Yes, they _would!_" Mina cried, her eyes wide with fright. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Regent hired them to assassinate me!"

Johnny was pale. "But…they're the _good_ guys…"

"According to _who_, John?"

Johnny's mind was reeling at that. "Mina…if I can just _talk_ to them, I _know_ I can clear this up. Ben and Gwen are good people – and Kevin's mostly okay – and if you tell them what you told me, I know they'd help…"

"I can't risk it, John!" Mina wailed, burying her face in his chest. "The minute they recognize me, I _know_ they'll come after me! Please, John, don't let them hurt me!"

Johnny felt his thoughts get fuzzy at Mina's plea, but he struggled to maintain clarity. "Just…promise me you'll try talking first, Mina," he insisted. "I know they'll help you if you let them."

Her expression pleading, Mina looked up at him. "And when they don't?" she asked tearfully. "When Gwen and Ben come after me?"

Overcome with the _need_ to protect her, Johnny held Mina close. "I promise, Mina: I _won't_ let them hurt you."

Nuzzling into him, Charmcaster smiled to herself as her spell took full hold. "I know you won't, John," she purred. "I _know_ you won't."

XXXXXXXX

_**Omnitrix Database**_

_**File-name:**__ Rath_

_**Species-name:**__ Appoplexian_

_**Home planet:**__ Appoplexia_

_**Abilities:**__ Subject possesses extremely pronounced fight-or-flight response; even minute stressors can trigger extreme rage in subject. Subject's strength, speed, and agility are all enhanced in direct proportion to extent of subject's stress-level. Subject also possesses retractable wrist-mounted claws capable of shredding most known structural materials. Subject's vocal cords are capable of vibrating on Ultra-Low Frequency, allowing subject to emit roar capable of inducing paralyzing fear in most sentients within range. Due to extreme sensitivity to stress stimuli, subject can be easily distracted from one stressor by another. Subject is extremely sensitive to certain neuro-electric fields emitted by smaller sentients, including subject's own young; exposure to these induces both a calming response and protective behaviour in subject._

_**Description:**__ Born to the savage jungles of Appoplexia, the Appoplexian was virtually surrounded by perils from its earliest history. Beset by bestial predators and lethal prey alike, its ancestors, chronically stressed, evolved to harness their anxiety, turning it to near-limitless rage, to fuel their desire and ability to fight back. After millions of years, the Appoplexian, now tuned to react to even the slightest hint of a threat, stands tall as the apex predator of the jungle._

_Upon inclusion in trans-galactic society, Appoplexians have found some success in Galactic MMA competitions, but most have found their true callings as either soldiers or mercenaries – professions that make use of their heightened reaction to threats – or bodyguards, which utilize their reactions to distressed individuals – the instinct which enabled them to care for their young, and later their fellows, which laid the groundwork for modern Appoplexian society._

_Author's Note: I sincerely apologize for taking FAR, FAR too long to update this story; I have no idea how the time got away from me. Thankfully, now that school is over and DONE with, I hope to have more time._

_Coming Soon:_

_Now that Charmcaster's secret is out, Ben and the groms race to stop her…_

…_but are they already too late?_

_What sinister scheme has this sorceress hatched?_

_And, more importantly, will Ben and the groms have to face one of their own to stop her?_

_Find out, as all of Surfer's Paradise finds out when "Sparks Fly From Her Fingertips…"_


End file.
